Music

Astroworld: Court Upholds Ruling Keeping Lawyers From Speaking to Media

ABC News argued last year that the order "restricted the flow of accurate, newsworthy information not only about the Astroworld litigation but also about the Astroworld Festival"

Published by

A texas appellate court upheld a gag order Tuesday that has kept lawyers from speaking publicly about the ongoing civil proceedings connected to the Astroworld Festival crowd crush for over a year.

Judge Kirsten Hawkins, overseeing the Astroworld case, first signed the publicity order in February 2022 citing the high-profile nature of the case and arguing that it would assure an impartial judicial process. The order prohibits lawyers from speaking out on a wide range of topics pertaining to the case such as witnesses and their testimonies, physical evidence, or as broad as “any information that is substantially likely to materially prejudice the trial.”

The order significantly lowered press coverage on Astroworld, the event in which 10 people were killed and hundreds more injured in 2021, as many of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs have feared that giving any information publicly would violate the order’s provisions. ABC News appealed the order, stating to Texas’s first appeals court that it was a violation of “constitutional principles” and prevents the public from gaining information about what happened at the festival.

“The gag order has restricted the flow of accurate, newsworthy information not only about the Astroworld litigation but also about the Astroworld Festival,” lawyers for ABC News wrote in the appeal last July. “Since the court issued the Gag Order, individuals with even a remote connection to the Astroworld Festival have been silenced for fear of violating its broad and vague provisions.”

The appeals court panel made up of three judges didn’t agree, writing on Tuesday only that “we deny the petition.”

Thousands of plaintiffs are suing the festival’s promoters Live Nation and Scoremore, as well as Travis Scott, asking for billions of dollars in potential damages. The plaintiffs have cited several allegations like a lack of security and poor planning from festival organizers as major factors contributing to the crowd rush. The families of two of the concertgoers who died settled their lawsuits last year.

From Rolling Stone US.

Recent Posts

DJ Lyan And Baby Jean Team Up for Tumultuous New Song ‘Tapori’

Desi Trill launches the latest collaboration between the South Asian producer and the Malayalam rapper,…

November 8, 2024

‘Baby John’ Teaser: Raja Kumari Adds Fiery Vocals to Upcoming Action Flick

Indo-American singer-songwriter and rapper teams up with composer Thaman S. and hip-hop artist Shah Rule…

November 8, 2024

Three People Charged With Supplying Liam Payne Drugs in Death Investigation

Among those charged are a friend of Payne, a hotel worker, and an alleged drug…

November 8, 2024

Rashida Jones Honors Father Quincy Jones: ‘He Was Love’

"He made everyone he ever met feel loved and seen. That’s his legacy," she wrote

November 8, 2024

Tomorrow X Together Clear Their Mind in Sunny ‘Over The Moon’ Alternate Video

"Over The Moon (Our Sanctuary Version)" follows the release of TXT's latest mini-album The Star…

November 8, 2024

Luke Combs Admits a ‘Fast Car’ Lyrical Mistake: ‘I Wanted to Crawl in a Hole’

Combs says Tracy Chapman was the one who pointed out the issue with his recorded…

November 8, 2024