Astroworld tagged interest

On Tuesday, December 7th, the Board of Judges of the Civil Trial Division of the Harris County District Courts met and determined to consolidate all the past filed and any future filed Astroworld lawsuits to one Judge – Kristen Hawkins of the 11th District Court – for further handling.

That ruling, hailed as a positive step toward justice for the Astroworld victims, was quickly overruled later the same evening by the Texas Supreme Court, which was petitioned by defendant Live Nation to stay the cases and have them consolidated through the State Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation.

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Yesterday, February 14, 2022, that panel reached its decision: to return the cases to Judge Hawkins in Harris County. With that ruling, the stay has been lifted and the consolidate case will move forward into discovery. 

"Iand#39;m eager to resume our work on behalf of the victims of this tragedy," said prominent trial attorney Brent Coon, who represents more than 1,500 Astroworld plaintiffs. "But at the same time, Iand#39;m dismayed that Live Nation and its fellow defendants were able to delay this process for three months, just to have the case returned to the very judge it was assigned to originally. The State Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigationand#39;s decision is validation that Live Nationand#39;s true motivation was never about finding the right venue. It was about delaying justice."

Brent Coon and Associates was the first and only plaintiffsand#39; firm to file a motion with the Texas Supreme Court to have the stay rescinded when it was first placed. The firm was also the only to oppose the defendantsand#39; suggestion of shifting the case to another judge.

 "Make no mistake: a delay only benefits the corporate defendants who are hoping that evidence will be lost, memories will fade, and victims will begin accepting small compensations – like covering the cost of tickets – offered by the defendants in exchange for dropping their legal claims," added Coon. "But we fought for our plaintiffsand#39; rights and ultimately ended up on the right side of the decision. Finally, we can begin to understand the failures that led to the Astroworld tragedy and get these plaintiffs the justice they deserve."