Morgan Wallen chair-throwing incident set for possible August trial
The country singer, who is performing a series of concerts at Nissan Stadium this weekend, waived his right to appear in court on Friday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A possible trial date was set for country music artist Morgan Wallen during a court hearing on Friday after he was arrested in early April for throwing a chair off of a Broadway bar rooftop.
Wallen waived his right to appear at the Friday morning court hearing. Attorney Worrick Robinson appeared on Wallen’s behalf in court.
Robinson said Wallen will be present for his next court date on Aug. 15, which could include a trial or settlement. The country singer is performing a series of concerts at Nissan Stadium this weekend.
“Morgan is doing well,” Robinson said after the hearing. “He’s very busy, which is good. He’s a family man. I think this concert is especially special for him because his family lives close. His family is in town.”
“This is obviously a very complicated case,” Robinson said. “It’s not going to resolve itself without subpoenas and witnesses.”
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Wallen was arrested on April 7 after Metro Police said he threw a chair from the top of Chief’s, Eric Church’s Broadway bar. Witnesses told police they watched him pick up a chair, throw it over the roof, and laugh about it. The rooftop of the bar stands six stories above Broadway.
Officers with Metro Nashville police said the chair landed about three feet in front of them, per an arrest affidavit for Wallen. Officers spoke with bar staff and witnesses and reviewed security footage, which all confirmed Wallen’s alleged actions, police said.
Robinson told reporters on Friday that he has seen the video, but he would not comment on what it shows. He simply said, “I haven’t seen anything to suggest that at all,” when asked specifically about Wallen laughing after the incident.
Wallen released a statement nearly two weeks after the incident. In his only comments about what happened, the singer said he has taken responsibility for his actions and regrets them.
“I didn’t feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks,” he said in the statement. “I’ve touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief’s. I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility.”
Wallen was released a few hours after being booked into jail in Nashville on a combined $15,250 bond. His arrest has renewed safety concerns on Broadway, with officials saying they are reviewing ways to make Nashville’s downtown safer.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said Friday this was a very dangerous incident that the city is continuing to investigate. Something as small as a bottle falling from a rooftop bar can create problems, Mayor O’Connell said, but rooftops are very popular areas that businesses and their customers enjoy.
“We know that there is some tension there because of the Metro Historic Zoning Commission,” Mayor O’Connell said. “In fact, some of the rooftops (the commission) does not want some of the objects to be permanently up there. I think in the ideal scenario, in addition to character, we are taking into account safety. I wouldn’t say there are plans there, but I will say that incident has prompted a review of some things within both Metro Nashville Police Department, our Office of Nightlife, and we will see if we end up making recommendations that should go to the Metro Historic Zoning Commission.”
Robinson said he’s been part of the safety conversations since the chair-throwing incident, and he wants to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.
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