FORT WORTH, Texas—The mother of a Texas teenager who used an “affluenza” defense for a deadly wreck could soon leave jail days after the two were caught in a Mexican resort town.
A judge on Monday sharply reduced Tonya Couch’s bond from $1 million to $75,000. Couch is charged with hindering the apprehension of a felon — her 18-year-old son, Ethan Couch, who killed four people in a 2013 crash and was facing allegations that he violated his probation.
Tonya Couch was brought back to Texas last week, days after she and her son were arrested in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Ethan Couch remains in a Mexico City detention facility.
If Tonya Couch makes bail, she will be required to wear an electronic ankle monitor and remain at home except for appointments with her doctor and lawyer.
State District Judge Wayne Salvant said he understood prosecutors’ concerns that Couch might flee again, but that the charge against her, while a third-degree felony, wasn’t serious enough to merit a $1 million bond.
One of her attorneys, Stephanie Patten, said afterward that she wasn’t sure if Tonya Couch would immediately post bond.
