Steven Tyler’s Accuser Lawsuit Faces Sudden Judge Change Less Than Two Weeks Before Trial As Court Orders Emergency Reassignment Hearing

Steven Tyler’s long-running legal battle has taken an unexpected turn just days before the case is scheduled to reach a jury.

A Los Angeles judge has recused herself from the lawsuit filed by Julia Misley against the Aerosmith frontman, forcing the case to be reassigned less than two weeks before its scheduled Sept. 28 trial.

Judge Patricia A. Young informed attorneys during a status conference on Tuesday, Sept. 15, that she had determined she was disqualified from continuing to hear the case, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

The development comes after most of Misley’s claims against Tyler were dismissed earlier this year, leaving one intentional infliction of emotional distress claim set to proceed.

Tyler has denied Misley’s allegations.

Judge Patricia A. Young Recuses Herself

According to the court filing, the parties were first notified on Monday, Sept. 14, that an issue had arisen concerning Judge Young’s ability to continue overseeing the case.

Attorneys were given 24 hours to determine whether all sides would agree to allow her to remain.

They did not reach unanimous agreement.

“The Court hereby recuses itself on this case,” the document states.

The case must now be reassigned to another judge.

Attorneys have been ordered to appear before Supervising Judge Lawrence Riff at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 18.

That status conference is expected to address the reassignment and whether the case remains ready to proceed to trial.

Trial Is Currently Scheduled For Sept. 28

Despite the sudden change, the jury trial is currently still scheduled to begin on Sept. 28, according to the filing.

The proceedings are expected to last approximately seven to 10 days.

The timing makes the judge’s recusal particularly significant procedurally, as a new judge would be taking over shortly before the scheduled start of trial.

The Sept. 18 conference is expected to provide further clarity on the reassignment and trial readiness.

Most Of Misley’s Claims Have Already Been Dismissed

Misley filed her lawsuit in December 2022, accusing Tyler of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress arising from an alleged relationship between them when she was a teenager during the 1970s.

Most of those claims were dismissed earlier this year.

In April, however, a Los Angeles judge ruled that one intentional infliction of emotional distress claim could continue, according to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE.

That remaining claim concerns Misley’s allegation that she and Tyler had sex in a hotel and a public hot tub in California in 1974, when she was 16.

Those allegations have not been established as fact at trial, and Tyler has denied Misley’s allegations.

Misley Says Their Relationship Began When She Was A Teenager

Misley has also alleged that by June 1975, she and Tyler were living together in Massachusetts, engaged to be married and expecting a child.

Her original lawsuit did not name Tyler.

However, the allegations corresponded with an account Tyler included in his 2011 memoir, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?, concerning his relationship with a 16-year-old girl.

Misley subsequently publicly identified Tyler in a statement.

Tyler has contested her claims in court.

Tyler Has Denied The Allegations

Tyler has argued in court filings that Misley consented to their sexual relationship.

His filings also asserted that he was immune from the claims because he had served as her legal guardian.

The case has already undergone substantial changes before reaching its current stage.

Earlier this year, the court dismissed the overwhelming majority of Misley’s claims, leaving only the single intentional infliction of emotional distress claim moving forward.

At the time, Tyler’s attorney David Long-Daniels characterized that ruling as a major victory for the musician.

“Today, the Court has dismissed with prejudice 99.9% of the claims against Mr. Tyler in this case,” Long-Daniels told PEOPLE in April.

“The court has decided that only one night, fifty-plus years ago, out of a three year relationship is allowed to remain.”

He added that Tyler’s legal team looked forward to trying the remaining case.

The trial date referenced by Long-Daniels at the time was Aug. 31, but the current court filing lists the jury trial for Sept. 28.

The Case Now Heads To A New Judge

The immediate question is what happens after Judge Young’s recusal.

The court documents cited in the report do not state that the Sept. 28 trial has been canceled.

Instead, the case is being sent through the reassignment process.

That makes the upcoming appearance before Supervising Judge Lawrence Riff important.

Attorneys are expected to address both the identity of the judge who will take over the proceedings and whether the lawsuit remains ready for its currently scheduled trial.

Until that conference takes place, the Sept. 28 jury date remains on the calendar.

Tyler Faced A Separate Lawsuit In New York

The Aerosmith singer has also faced a separate sexual assault lawsuit from another woman.

That accuser alleged that Tyler assaulted her twice in one day when she was a teenager in 1975.

The lawsuit was filed in November 2023.

Unlike Misley’s remaining California claim, however, that case did not proceed toward trial.

A New York judge dismissed the lawsuit in February after ruling that the accuser had waited too long to file the claim, according to previous reporting.

The dismissal of that separate lawsuit does not resolve the remaining claim in Misley’s California case.

A Last-Minute Change Before A Long-Awaited Trial

Misley’s lawsuit has already been pending for several years and has narrowed considerably since it was originally filed.

Multiple claims have been dismissed.

One remains.

Tyler continues to deny Misley’s allegations.

Now, with the scheduled jury trial less than two weeks away, another major procedural development has arrived.

The judge overseeing the case has stepped aside.

The parties must return to court on Sept. 18 for reassignment and a determination of trial readiness.

Unless the schedule changes following that hearing, jury selection and trial proceedings are currently set to begin Sept. 28.

After years of filings and legal arguments, the remaining claim had appeared to be approaching its decisive courtroom stage.

Now a new judge will first have to take the case.