Steven Tyler Sexual Assault Trial Delayed After Judge Recuses Herself

The upcoming sexual assault trial against Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has hit an unexpected roadblock. Los Angeles County Judge Patricia A. Young has abruptly recused herself from the case, leaving the proceedings without a judge just two weeks before opening arguments were set to begin on September 28.

According to reports, Young discussed the high-profile case with another judge without realizing that this individual had previously been dismissed from the trial. Upon discovering the oversight, Young informed both legal teams. With neither side able to agree on how to proceed, the judge opted to step away from the bench.

“As a result of the parties not waiving, I will officially disqualify,” Young announced in court. “Once I discovered the basis for my disqualification, I did not take any further action, so anything that was an open question as of last Friday … I have not ruled on those, and I will not rule on those.”

The Background of the Lawsuit

Plaintiff Julia Misley—formerly known as Julia Holcomb—filed the lawsuit against Tyler in December 2022 under California’s Child Victims Act. Misley accuses the singer of sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging that the abuse began in 1973 when she was 16 years old and Tyler was 25.

When the lawsuit was initially filed, Misley’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, criticized the music industry for having “permitted, protected, and profited from severe violence for decades.” Tyler has consistently denied the allegations and sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that the pair primarily lived together in Boston, where the age of consent at the time was 16.

In May, Judge Young dismissed the majority of the lawsuit under the statute of limitations, ruling that too much time had passed for older claims. However, attorneys for Misley pushed forward with accusations tied to incidents in Oregon, Washington, and California, where the age of consent was 18. Young previously determined that only the California-based charges would proceed to trial.

Autobiographical History and Next Steps

Misley’s legal filings claim that Tyler groomed her over several years and eventually became her legal guardian. Tyler previously addressed their historical relationship in his 2011 autobiography, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?

“I was so in love, I almost took a teen bride,” Tyler recalled in the book. “I went and slept at her parents’ house for a couple of nights, and her parents fell in love with me, signed papers over for me to have custody so I wouldn’t get arrested if I took her out of state.”

Because of Judge Young’s sudden exit, the hearing was automatically withdrawn. A new judge has not yet been assigned to take over the proceedings, and a replacement trial date has not been announced.