{"id":1356187,"date":"2022-03-03T08:03:21","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T13:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1356187"},"modified":"2022-03-03T08:09:21","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T13:09:21","slug":"astroworld-court-hearing-features-gag-order-and-diversity-being-discussed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/astroworld-court-hearing-features-gag-order-and-diversity-being-discussed\/","title":{"rendered":"Astroworld Court Hearing Features Gag Order and Diversity Being Discussed"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fastroworld-court-hearing-features-gag-order-and-diversity-being-discussed%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1356187&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div id=\"speechkit-wrapper\" class=\"speechkit-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable\">A court hearing about last year&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/astroworld-what-happened-travis-scott\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deadly Astroworld music festival<\/a> was held on Tuesday and featured discussions related to the issues of media publicity, a gag order and a concern over a lack diversity among attorneys representing those killed or injured.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">The hearing was the first time lawyers handling the nearly 500 lawsuits filed after 10 people died and hundreds of others were injured during a <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/astroworld-festival-deaths-travis-scott-entertainment-houston-music-5628f631f335ea5d182852ba0116d2cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">massive crowd surge<\/a> at the Nov. 5 concert headlined by rapper Travis Scott had met in court after the cases were consolidated before one judge.<\/p>\n<p>After being appointed last month by a judicial panel overseen by the Texas Supreme Court to handle all pretrial matters in the lawsuits, state District Judge Kristen Hawkins issued a gag order in the case.<\/p>\n<p>During Tuesday\u2019s hearing, Hawkins clarified her order, saying lawyers could tell the media about factual issues that happen in court, but she didn\u2019t want attorneys to make their cases in the court of public opinion and possibly influence the jury pool.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/astroworld-tragedy-everything-to-know\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ASTROWORLD TRAGEDY: EVERYTHING TO KNOW<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 767px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/640\/320\/Astroworld8.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"Travis Scott performs at Day 1 of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Houston.\u00a0\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>\n      Travis Scott performs at Day 1 of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Houston.\u00a0<br \/>\n      <span class=\"copyright\">(\u00a0Amy Harris\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;This case should be tried in the courtroom and not on social media or with press releases or other statements to the media,&#8221; Hawkins said.<\/p>\n<p>Brent Coon, an attorney who is representing about 1,500 concertgoers and is asking for $10 billion in damages, said after the hearing he understands the judge\u2019s goal of &#8220;let\u2019s keep who\u2019s pointing the finger at who, let that be courtroom issues and jury issues ultimately.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But this is a case of public import for all the reasons that are obvious,&#8221; Coon said.<\/p>\n<p>Most of Wednesday\u2019s court hearing was spent discussing how the cases would proceed, the creation of a leadership structure that would speak on behalf of attorneys for each side, how disputes over evidence or other matters would be handled. Hawkins said she planned to have monthly hearings. She requested that by the next hearing, lawyers give her a breakdown of the various lawsuits by four categories: deaths, bodily injuries, brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n<p>Coon said it could be years before any trials or settlements in the case take place.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/naya-rivera-family-settles-wrongful-death-lawsuit-glee-drowning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>NAYA RIVERA&#8217;S FAMILY SETTLES WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT NEARLY 2 YEARS AFTER &#8216;GLEE&#8217; STAR&#8217;S DROWNING<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>During the court hearing, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family of the youngest person to die from injuries during the festival, said that most of the victims killed or injured were Black but the majority of attorneys representing them are white. During Wednesday\u2019s hearing, most of the 50 to 60 attorneys in the courtroom were white.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 767px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/640\/320\/Astroworld4.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"Festival goers head into the VIP area prior to Travis Scott performing during day one of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park.\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>\n      Festival goers head into the VIP area prior to Travis Scott performing during day one of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park.<br \/>\n      <span class=\"copyright\">(\u00a0Amy Harris\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;There seems to be not much representation in the court of those African American voices. We really grapple with it. We are concerned about them not having a voice,&#8221; said Crump, who represents the family of <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/travis-scott-entertainment-dallas-music-music-festivals-32b4e4504ea0266861f006aee18ee830\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">9-year-old Ezra Blount<\/a>, who was Black. Ezra&#8217;s father, Treston Blount, who was with his son at the concert, was at Tuesday&#8217;s court hearing.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, Crump <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/death-of-george-floyd-race-and-ethnicity-5d55136da447c4231870f1400cd47e13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">has represented victims<\/a> of police brutality and vigilante violence and has been the lawyer for the families of Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.<\/p>\n<p>Hawkins told Crump this issue is something &#8220;that has not gone unnoticed by the court &#8230; I would like that to be considered going forward.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But Hawkins said she was &#8220;not going to choose someone\u2019s counsel for them. I do know we have excellent attorneys in this room and those attorneys come from all aspects of Harris County.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters?cmpid=fnfirstnl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 767px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/640\/320\/Travis-Scott-Astroworld-Getty1.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"Concertgoers described mounting anticipation for the headline rapper that led people to push toward the stage.\u00a0\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>\n      Concertgoers described mounting anticipation for the headline rapper that led people to push toward the stage.\u00a0<br \/>\n      <span class=\"copyright\">(Rick Kern\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Neal Manne, who represents Astroworld festival promoter Live Nation, thanked Crump for highlighting this issue, saying, &#8220;I agree with him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Houston police are still conducting a <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/travis-scott-business-houston-criminal-investigations-arts-and-entertainment-6e569ac9da9a506fd3f0286740103e05\">criminal <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/travis-scott-business-houston-criminal-investigations-arts-and-entertainment-6e569ac9da9a506fd3f0286740103e05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">investigation <\/a>of the Astroworld concert.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/astroworld-festival-deaths-travis-scott-entertainment-business-concerts-75a6445f255d86b7bc5ac42c0d601c60\">in December <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/astroworld-festival-deaths-travis-scott-entertainment-business-concerts-75a6445f255d86b7bc5ac42c0d601c60\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">announced <\/a>it was investigating Live Nation\u2019s role in the deadly concert.<\/p>\n<p>Last month, Houston officials announced the creation of <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/astroworld-festival-deaths-travis-scott-entertainment-sylvester-turner-arts-and-entertainment-a0aa668a79a0ee8535f04a3e322d59ae\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a new task force<\/a> that will look at improving the safety at large Houston-area events.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/apps-products?pid=AppArticleLink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 767px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/640\/320\/Travis_Scott_Getty_Images.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"\u00a0Travis Scott performs during 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas.\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>\n      \u00a0Travis Scott performs during 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas.<br \/>\n      <span class=\"copyright\">(Photo by Erika Goldring\/WireImage via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Those who died in the concert ranged in age from 9 to 27 years old. Roughly 300 people were injured and treated at the scene, and 25 were taken to hospitals. Those killed died from <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/astroworld-festival-deaths-travis-scott-entertainment-science-houston-6ec1e022d472e448b5e8afc57f5bcf4a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">compression asphyxia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A court hearing about last year&#8217;s deadly Astroworld music festival was held on Tuesday and featured discussions related to the issues of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1356187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1356187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1356187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1356187\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1356187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1356187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1356187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}