A trial date for Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe for manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic has been set, according to a local media report.Blythe's trial will begin on February 4, 2013 and is expected to last four days, reports Prague Post. If convicted, Blythe could receive up to ten years in prison.
"We have issued Randy Blythe with a court summons, and he is obliged to attend the hearing in person," court spokeswoman Martina Lhotαkovα said according to the report. "The trial will determine the culpability of Blythe, and his potential punishment."
The singer had been indicted after being accused of pushing a fan off the stage during a Lamb of God concert in May 2010, which prosecutors claim led to the fan's death two weeks later.
The band's manager Larry Mazer issued the following statement in response to the indictment: "After a three month investigation, the prosecutor in the Czech Republic has decided to move forward with an indictment of Randy Blythe on the charge of manslaughter with intent to cause bodily harm. Obviously, we intend to fight vigorously against these charges as we feel that in no way did Randy intend to cause bodily harm on the young fan who subsequently died from injuries sustained at the show. As he has stated previously, Randy intends to go to Prague to defend himself at trial.
"While it is a tragedy that a Lamb of God fan died following a performance by the group, in no way do I feel that Randy did anything improper that led to the young man's injuries and subsequent death. The price of a ticket to a show does not entitle audience members access to a band's stage. In the years since the murder on stage of Dimebag Darrell Abbott, performers of all genres have had to become more guarded while performing in response to the dangers presented by fans trying to become part of the performance. We believe that Randy responded professionally to the numerous amount of fans rushing the stage that day, a number of them captured on videos that have been posted on the internet. We have testimony from the venue operator that acknowledges lax security and an improper barricade being used that evening. Numerous testimonies from fans also were contradictory as to the actions of the multiple fans that tried to access the stage.
"At this point, all that the band, myself, and our lawyers can do is to present a defense and try to convince the panel of judges who will hear the case that Randy is innocent of all charges and that his name and reputation need to be cleared and that he be permitted to carry on with his life and career always mindful that a fan passed away after a Lamb of God performance."
