Trial Date Set as New Judge Takes Over
A Los Angeles judge has set a May 3, 2027, trial date in the long-running sexual assault lawsuit against Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, while signaling he will reconsider earlier rulings that had gutted the case. Judge Lawrence Riff, the fifth judge assigned to the matter, made the announcement during a Nov. 9 hearing in downtown Los Angeles, according to court reports.
The lawsuit, filed in December 2022 by Julia Misley, accuses Tyler of sexually abusing her over a three-year period beginning in 1973, when she was 16 and he was 25. Tyler has denied the claims. The case has been repeatedly delayed by procedural fights and judicial turnover, including the September recusal of Judge Patricia Young, who stepped aside just two weeks before a prior trial date after disclosing that she had discussed the case with another judge who had previously been disqualified.
Riff Vows 'Peace of Mind' for Both Sides
At Monday's hearing, Riff said he would toss out and reconsider any of Young's rulings "from the beginning of her assignment" if either side requested it, arguing that both parties are entitled to "peace of mind at the end of the case that everything was on the up and up and proper." He acknowledged the additional hearings would increase legal costs but said he expected to keep the trial on track for the first half of next year.
A Case Narrowed—and Now Potentially Revived
The stakes center on a critical April ruling by Young, who dismissed Misley's claims involving alleged misconduct in Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington on statute-of-limitations grounds, leaving only claims tied to a single alleged California encounter. Misley's lawyers have said they will challenge that summary adjudication, which they argue gutted the core of the case.
Tyler's defense has maintained that the relationship was consensual and that Massachusetts law should govern because the pair primarily lived together in Boston, where the age of consent was 16 at the time. In his 2011 memoir, Tyler wrote that he "almost took a teen bride" and described her parents signing over custody so he would not be arrested if he took her out of state—passages Misley's team has cited as admissions.
Defense Accuses Plaintiff of Leveraging Recusal
Tyler's lawyers are fighting to uphold Young's earlier decisions, calling them "legally sound," and have accused Misley of "boldly seeking to turn Judge Young's recusal into settlement leverage for herself," according to reports. The new judge's willingness to revisit those rulings could restore the geographic scope of the claims and increase Tyler's exposure.
Why the Reopened Proceedings Matter
The development matters beyond the courtroom because it extends one of the highest-profile #MeToo-era cases involving a legacy rock star, keeping questions about accountability and aging statutes of limitations in the spotlight. Misley alleges Tyler pressured her into an abortion when she was 17 and that the relationship was framed to her as a romantic affair. Tyler has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The judge turnover itself has become a storyline: five judges have now overseen the case, and the recusal chain has added years of delay since the suit was filed in 2022. Riff's promise to review prior rulings without allowing new filings suggests he intends to move efficiently while ensuring the record is clean before trial.
What Comes Next
The parties now face a series of pretrial hearings ahead of the May 2027 date. If Riff reinstates claims tied to Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington, the trial could broaden significantly in scope and evidentiary complexity. If he upholds Young's narrowing, the case will center on the California allegations.
Either way, the decision to keep the case alive—and to reopen the door to earlier rulings—ensures that Steven Tyler's legal fight will remain in the news well into the next year, with a trial date now fixed and a new judge vowing to see it through to the end.
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