Steven Tyler faces renewed legal battle as court prepares for 2027 proceedings

A new judge will review earlier court decisions after his predecessor withdrew from the case

Steven Tyler is scheduled to face trial in May 2027 over allegations made by a woman who claims the Aerosmith frontman sexually abused her when she was a minor during the 1970s.

The trial date was confirmed as May 3, 2027, by Judge Lawrence Riff during a hearing in Los Angeles on November 9. He has taken over the proceedings after the previous judge, Patricia Young, disqualified herself from the case.

The change in judges follows an unexpected development in September, when Young withdrew after discovering that a fellow judge involved in discussions about the matter had previously been dismissed from the trial. She disclosed the issue to both legal teams before stepping aside.

Riff has agreed to reconsider decisions made by Young from the beginning of her assignment if either legal team requests a review. According to Rolling Stone, the new judge wants both sides to have confidence that the proceedings have been conducted properly.

The lawsuit was filed by Julie Misley, who first brought her allegations against Tyler in 2022. She claims their relationship began in 1973, when she was 16 and the musician was 25, and continued for approximately three years.

Misley has also alleged that Tyler pressured her into having an abortion when she was 17. Her lawsuit describes the relationship as one in which she was allegedly persuaded to believe that the situation was a romantic affair.

In April, Young dismissed several claims because of statute of limitations issues involving Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington. However, one claim relating to California was allowed to proceed.

Tyler has denied wrongdoing, while his legal representatives have previously argued that the relationship was consensual and that Massachusetts law applied because the pair primarily lived in Boston.

With the trial approaching, further pretrial hearings are expected as both sides prepare for the proceedings.