The sexual assault court case against Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will have to be rescheduled, as the judge due to preside over the legal proceedings has unexpectedly stepped down.
Judge Patricia A. Young was due to hear the opening arguments in Los Angeles on September 28.
Plaintiff Julia Misley - formerly Julia Holcomb - is accusing Tyler sexually abusing her from 1973 to 1976, starting when she was 16-years-old, and he was 25. She allege that Tyler coerced and persuaded her into believing that their three-year relationship, which began in 1973, was a 'romantic love affair". Her legal team filed the lawsuit in December 2022 under California's Child Victims Act, suing Tyler for sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress
At the time the lawsuit was filed, Misley’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, said that the music industry has "permitted, protected, and profited from severe violence for decades", adding "It’s time to face the music. It’s time for reckoning."
Tyler denies the claims and is seeking to have the case dismissed, arguing that the pair primarily lived together in Boston, where the age of consent was 16.
In May, Judge Young dismissed the majority of the lawsuit under statutes of limitations – meaning too much time had passed since the alleged crimes were committed.
Now Young has recused herself from the case, without specifying the exact conflict of interest which forced her withdrawal.
"As a result of the parties not waiving, I will officially disqualify," Judge Young said. "Once I discovered the basis for my disqualification, I did not take any further action, so anything that was an open question as of last Friday … I have not ruled on those, and I will not rule on those."
It is not yet clear when the next stage of the trial will begin.
