GUILTY TX - Ethan Couch 'Affluenza Teen' DUI driver who killed four gets probation, 2013 #1

[faw720]

I feel so sorry for those poor families having to put up with this circus. It must be pure torture for them.

I feel sorry for them too!! However, I wonder if they haven't already reconciled themselves to never seeing justice in this life.

 

[Everyday Grace]

His mother, Tonya Couch, was scheduled to leave for Houston this afternoon but she also received a similar injunction, called an "amparo," according to Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal's Office Southern District of Texas.

"We do not know if the Mexicans have the highest priority on this case like we do here in America. It's on their time schedule, we've seen these things happen as quickly as two weeks to two months," Hunter said at a press conference this afternoon.

There was another bit of assumption reporting out of Dallas-Fort Worth today. One of the stations attributed the filing of the Writ of Amparo to Ethan Couch's Texas attorneys. They issued a statement to clear that up.

Scott Brown and Wm. Reagan Wynn, attorneys in Texas, released a statement today in relation to their work with Couch.

"We represent Ethan concerning his juvenile matter in Tarrant County, Texas. We are not licensed to practice law in the United Mexican States (Mexico)," they wrote in a statement released to ABC News. "Accordingly, we do not represent Mr. Couch in any legal matter in Mexico. We do not represent Tonya Couch in any capacity. We do not have any additional information concerning this matter to provide at this time."

http://abcnews.go.com/International/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-america-today/story?id=36011164

 

[lonetraveler]

I have to wonder if money of some kind helped allow the 3 day stay. If this boy ends up staying in Mexico and avoids extradition then we can all but guarantee money will be involved.

I hope they don't get preferential treatment of any kind.

American dollars go a long way in Mexico. I would not be surprised to learn that a Mexican Official is driving a Harley Davidson Pickup truck. This poor, innocent lad might just escape the immigration center anytime.

 

[faw720]

Right about now, I'm feeling pretty hopeless. Even if authorities can get mom & son back in the U.S. there's always more stalling tactics they can employ. Momster will make bail & I hope they put an ankle monitor on her or she'll be gone again in a flash. Who knows, she might even cut it off & flee again. Even if she doesn't, she will probably ask for a change of venue asking that the case not be tried in Tarrant Co. The legal maneuvering can go on forever & ever. In the meantime we know that Ethan will never face actual punishment unless he breaks probation if he is declared an adult. Of course, they have to catch him before he can be punished. This duo seems to have several bags of tricks up their sleeves & there are always more attorneys to help them figure out more. I'm sad.:anguish:

 

[waltzingmatilda]

American dollars go a long way in Mexico. I would not be surprised to learn that a Mexican Official is driving a Harley Davidson Pickup truck. This poor, innocent lad might just escape the immigration center anytime.

I agree lonetraveler. (Good reading you again my friend)

 

[JeannaT]

I don't want to be a wet blanket on this party, but I was watching a broadcast last night on the Fox News Channel, and it was stated that due to the way Texas laws are structured, the maximum penalty for Nathan violating his parole is an additional 120 days in jail. 4 months.

I don't completely understand why that would be, but it has to do with the law being retroactive to when he was sentenced as a minor. It didn't make any sense to me because I thought the entire point behind parole was that jail time could be avoided if you stayed out of trouble, but if not, you went to jail for the remainder of your parole time. In this case, that would be about 8 years.

However......last night they discussed it and revealed that him fleeing the country and violating his parole had a penalty of 120 days in jail....maximum.

I'm really hoping the people discussing it were wrong, or that I misunderstood them, but I listened to the entire broadcast and that's what they said. It was on the Kelly File.....Fox news. No link.

You're correct in your statement - if you violate parole, you don't go to prison for the remainder of your parole term. For example, some crimes, you might get sentenced to 30 days in jail OR 1 year on probation. If you violate your parole, it's 30 days in jail for you. Or some amount smaller than that. Parole lasts a LOT longer than a possible jail/prison sentence because it's much easier to do and people choose long parole over short prison/jail time.

 

[JeannaT]

Does a 3rd class felony conviction get jail time or prison time in Texas? Mama Twerp (=Twit Perp) might not have considered the prison option..... Can you imagine her in a general population of women who are a) broken about how their chronic poverty has impacted their relationships with their kids, and/or b) are predatory? Plus, there are going to be dozens of "interfering with apprehension" cases in a setting like that. Mama Twerp + orange jumpsuit = "you are just an average convict, nothing special". Mama Twerp is gonna hate being average.

I think the media has gone a bit "round the bend" in describing the Couches as blue bloods (I actually saw them referred to as Blue Bloods in an article). Tonya had her first child at 15 years old, and had another by another man who also wasn't involved with her by the time she was 18. She has a criminal record herself. My guess is, she'll get support from other mothers in prison who, as you say, also interfered with apprehension to save their kids from being held accountable for criminal behavior. She's not a Vanderbilt. She's a woman from a hard life who now has a lot of money and she doesn't know how to run her life appropriately and respectably.

 

[1&2&3]

Money talks! To have been granted a 3 day extension, big money had to transfer hands from Daddy to Mexican officials. JMO as well as 99.9% of the world!

One of the best things that could happen is to bring one of them back and leave one of them over there for a week or so. Separate them, let Mama's boy see what it is like to be on his own! So probably best to leave him over there.

Why can't she be charged with accessory to the fact of aiding a juvenile on probation on leaving the country? Or something like that.

 

[Cubby]

I have to wonder if money of some kind helped allow the 3 day stay. If this boy ends up staying in Mexico and avoids extradition then we can all but guarantee money will be involved.

I hope they don't get preferential treatment of any kind.

There is so much corruption in Mexico I'm sure someone is willing to make money off of helping these two.

 

[KaaBoom]

Is anyone surprised the Couch duo are putting up legal fight to not return and face justice? Not me. Will it never end? #EthanCouch
— Dee Anderson (@SheriffAnderson) December 30, 2015

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/official-affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-wins-3-day-delay-in-deportation/

Actually yeah, I’m kind of surprised. What are they accomplishing? Spending time in a Mexican jail, instead of a US jail? Especially for her, will this reduce the time she spends in jail? I don’t think so. She is likely to bond out as soon as she gets back to the US. So it seems to me all they are accomplishing is to spend some time in a Mexican jail. They could be just buying themselves extra time in custody.

Honestly it sounds to me like an attempt by some Mexican lawyers to make some money off them, before they leave the country.

 

[Cubby]

Right about now, I'm feeling pretty hopeless. Even if authorities can get mom & son back in the U.S. there's always more stalling tactics they can employ. Momster will make bail & I hope they put an ankle monitor on her or she'll be gone again in a flash. Who knows, she might even cut it off & flee again. Even if she doesn't, she will probably ask for a change of venue asking that the case not be tried in Tarrant Co. The legal maneuvering can go on forever & ever. In the meantime we know that Ethan will never face actual punishment unless he breaks probation if he is declared an adult. Of course, they have to catch him before he can be punished. This duo seems to have several bags of tricks up their sleeves & there are always more attorneys to help them figure out more. I'm sad.:anguish:

But doesn't the financing for all of this have to comr from Dad? How would Tonya finance all of this without dads help? At some point the spousal support and child support are going to come to an end....

 

[EmmaliLucia]

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crim...e-teen-expected-to-serve-4-months-at-most.ece

That's not a terribly expensive house, I was expecting something a little pricier from them. How much do places usually sell for out there?

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Just catching up but heard on the news that they threw a going away party for themselves before they fled. How sinful and arrogant! This is a three ring circus and now to hear that they are blocking extradition! I feel so badly for the victims families and loved ones.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Right about now, I'm feeling pretty hopeless. Even if authorities can get mom & son back in the U.S. there's always more stalling tactics they can employ. Momster will make bail & I hope they put an ankle monitor on her or she'll be gone again in a flash. Who knows, she might even cut it off & flee again. Even if she doesn't, she will probably ask for a change of venue asking that the case not be tried in Tarrant Co. The legal maneuvering can go on forever & ever. In the meantime we know that Ethan will never face actual punishment unless he breaks probation if he is declared an adult. Of course, they have to catch him before he can be punished. This duo seems to have several bags of tricks up their sleeves & there are always more attorneys to help them figure out more. I'm sad.:anguish:

I'm with you on this one. But I alternate from feeling hopeless and sad to feeling that my head will explode from rage.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

THIS is exactly why this case is starting to really make me angry at the moment. All of this dragging things along is so painful for the victims.

THEY are the ones who should be able to go on with life, even though life for them has forever been changed by this spoiled piece of work.

It made me angry in the first place that Ethan was allowed to pretty much live on as usual with a slap on the wrist. And now that he keeps pulling stunt after stunt with seemingly no conscience, there's likely only going to be another slap on the wrist.

Instead of manning up and facing the consequences for what he did, he's dragging things along again... and let me tell you this will indeed feel like torture for the poor families he ripped apart.

I have no respect at all (and that's putting it VERY mildly) for criminals who think they are above the law and better than others and shouldn't face the consequences of their own actions.

Oh, one day they'll face the consequences... however it would be so amazing to see it happening here and now.

AMEN! IMO, the mother is worse. She's supposed to be a role model but she's an enabler and if teenpants got off on affluenza, then the parents should have taken the punishment. Since when is neglect of responsibility a get out-of-jail-free card!

 

[KaaBoom]

There is so much corruption in Mexico I'm sure someone is willing to make money off of helping these two.

There is corruption in Mexico, but that’s not the way it works. If they were not found by US authorities, then yeah, they could easily pay off Mexican authorities and stay in Mexico forever. But with all the attention this case is getting, no Mexican agent is going to accept any bribe from them. That would be political suicide for them.

 

[seattlechiquita]

From the abc article about them getting an amparo (which isa Mexican legal recourse to protect civil rights, so this is weird):

"We do not know if the Mexicans have the highest priority on this case like we do here in America. It's on their time schedule, we've seen these things happen as quickly as two weeks to two months," Hunter said at a press conference this afternoon."

Witch, please. You let this psycho go after killing four people and now that he violates parole suddenly you're all over it and it's on "the Mexicans"? I don't think so buddy. YOU screwed up. Mexican authorities don't have to do the job for you.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Ethan Couch used his cellphone to order food. I'm so happy he's an idiot!
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crim...e-teen-expected-to-serve-4-months-at-most.ece

 

[faw720]

But doesn't the financing for all of this have to comr from Dad? How would Tonya finance all of this without dads help? At some point the spousal support and child support are going to come to an end....

An earlier link said that she sold her $343,000.00 house in August. Of course, that amount of money can only go so far.

 

[JeannaT]

An earlier link said that she sold her $343,000.00 house in August. Of course, that amount of money can only go so far.

It's highly unlikely she owned the house outright - but rather, she bought it for about that amount several years ago and still had almost all of it to pay.