Affluenza teen's mom to be extradited back to Texas

The mother of a Texas teenager derided for his “affluenza” defense in a deadly drunken-driving case on Tuesday waived her right to fight extradition to Texas during a brief court hearing in California.

Prosecutors asked that Tonya Couch, 38, be extradited after she was deported from Mexico and flown to Los Angeles last week. It's unclear when she will be sent to Texas, where she's charged with hindering the apprehension of a felon. Her bond there was set at $1 million.

Couch and her 18-year-old son, Ethan Couch, were taken into custody last week in Mexico, where authorities believe the pair fled in November as Texas prosecutors investigated whether he had violated his probation.

Her son was being held at a detention facility in Mexico City after winning a court reprieve that could lead to a weeks- or even months-long legal process in Mexico, according to a Mexican immigration official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he or she was not authorized to be quoted by name.

Her attorneys released a statement saying she had done nothing illegal and wanted to get back to Texas as soon as possible.

“While the public may not like what she did, may not agree with what she did, or may have strong feelings against what she did, make no mistake — Tonya did not violate any law of the State of Texas and she is eager to have her day in court,” lawyers Stephanie K. Patten and Steve Gordon said in the statement.

Ethan Couch was driving drunk and speeding near Fort Worth in June 2013 when he crashed into a disabled SUV, killing four people and injuring several others, including passengers in his pickup truck. He was sentenced to probation.

During the sentencing phase of his trial, a defense expert argued that his wealthy parents coddled him into a sense of irresponsibility — a condition the expert termed “affluenza.” The condition is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, and its invocation during the legal proceedings drew ridicule.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press