Infamous affluenza teen Ethan Couch is going to drop an appeal against his deportation from Mexico and will return to Texas to face the charges awaiting him there, his lawyer in Mexico, Fernando Benitez, revealed according to the Guardian.
Couch reportedly formally decided to drop the appeal on Monday.
“I gave him several options but he decided to go to Texas to face whatever charges he faces,” Benitez said on Tuesday, expecting his client to be deported within the next 24 to 48 hours
“I have people at the courthouse … waiting for notification that the appeal has formally been dropped,” Benitez said. “Once the injunction is removed they will deport Ethan in 24 or 48 hours.
Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, were detained in Mexico in December. His mother was sent back to the U.S. almost immediately, but was released from jail after posting bail. The pair are accused of fleeing the country after Texas prosecutors launched an investigation into whether he violated the conditions of his probation after he was seen in a video at a party with alcohol.
Tonya Couch has been charged with hindering the apprehension of a felon and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted, the Guardian notes.
Ethan Couch was given a 10 year probation as a 16-year-old, after his drunk driving caused the death of four people in his home state. At the time, Ethan Couch’s defense claimed that he suffered from “affluenza,” having never faced consequences for his actions because of his family’s wealth.
Upon Ethan Couch’s anticipated return to Texas, the teen will be held in a juvenile detention center where a juvenile judge will then decide whether to hold him at that facility, put him in an adult jail, or let him go.
A separate hearing is currently scheduled for Feb. 19, where it would be determined whether Couch’s case should be transferred to the adult system. If Couch is transferred and is caught violating his probation again, he could face up to 10 years in prison for each death, the Guardian notes.
Read more at the Guardian.
