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'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch's Legal Team Fighting To Keep His Psych Records Sealed In Civil Lawsuit After DUI Killed Four & Left Others Injured

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Aug. 5 2014, Published 7:07 a.m. ET

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Teenager Ethan Couch escaped jail time after killing four innocent people during a drunken joy ride in his truck in 2013 after his psychologist diagnosed him with "affluenza" — a term meaning the teen's life of privilege without discipline caused him to have no concept of consequences.

Couch, 17, was sentenced to 10 years of probation and rehab treatment in a cushy $438,000 per year facility — largely paid for by taxpayers.

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EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTS: 'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch's Legal Team Fighting To Keep Psych Files Sealed

As RadarOnline.com exclusively reported in June, following an alcohol-fueled party at the mansion Couch's father gave him, 13-year-old Lucas McConnell was injured and his family has filed a civil lawsuit against the Couch family in which they are hoping for a jury trial.

Texas Judge R.H. Wallace Jr. ordered Couch’s attorneys to hand over the records of psychologist Dr. Dick Miller, who diagnosed Ethan with the “affluenza.”

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But the legal team representing the Couch family recently filed a petition for writ of mandamus and a motion for an emergency stay with the Forth Worth, Texas, court asking that Ethan's psychology records remain confidential.

"We are asking for an order from the Fort Worth of Appeals that his file will remain confidential and does not have to be produced," attorney Michael A. Yanof told RadarOnline.com.

The grounds for asking for this are the same grounds asserted in the trial court. The motion for emergency stay asks the Court of Appeals to 'stay' the order until the mandamus is decided, which means the documents don’t have to be produced by August 5 as the order currently says they do.

"This is usually requested with a mandamus since allowing the file to be produced could make the mandamus a moot point."

The paperwork claims the teen's files are "privileged and confidential" and a request to subpoena the files of a third-party, Dr. Miller, should be overruled.

Do you think Ethan's private psychology records should be released as evidence in the McConnell civil lawsuit? Sound off in the comments below . . .

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