A Texas judge scheduled a start date for the trial in the only remaining wrongful death lawsuit against Travis Scott. According to the Associated Press, Judge Kristen Hawkins said jury selection will begin on September 10 at a court hearing on Tuesday (May 14).
The family of Ezra Blount, a 9-year-old boy killed in the Astroworld tragedy, was among the 10 plaintiffs who sued Scott and others over the deaths of their loved ones. Nine of the lawsuits were settled out of court.
Blount was the youngest victim who died in the crowd crush at the 2021 Astroworld Festival. Blount’s family wanted the trial to start sooner, but Judge Hawkins told them logistics wouldn’t allow the proceedings to begin until September.
Lawyers representing Blount’s family sought to depose Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino before the trial. Live Nation, one of the defendants in the lawsuit, hoped to prevent Rapino from facing questioning. Live Nation’s attorney Neal Manne said he might appeal the deposition to the Texas Supreme Court if no agreement is reached.
The Blount family’s lawsuit will be the first Astroworld case to make it to trial barring a settlement. Roughly 2,400 injury lawsuits are still pending. The first trial regarding Astroworld-related injuries was scheduled for October 15. Seven of the injury cases will be handled at the trial.
Last year, a grand jury declined to indict Scott on criminal charges for his role in the Astroworld tragedy. Scott filed a motion for dismissal from the Astroworld lawsuits in March. His lawyers argued he wasn’t responsible for the crowd’s safety.
Judge Hawkins rejected Scott’s motion. The judge also refused to dismiss Live Nation and Apple Music as defendants.
Drake successfully convinced the judge to remove him from the Astroworld litigation in April. The Canadian star appeared at the deadly event held at Houston’s NRG Park in 2021.
