Eckhardt warns of potentially impending case of Euphoria

A district judge’s recent decision to throw out a lawsuit against Travis County over its mass-gathering permitting guidelines might not be the final vindication the Commissioners Court was hoping for. That’s according to County Judge Sarah Eckhardt herself, who brought the suit up for brief discussion at the court’s regular meeting on Tuesday. The item had been flagged for possible discussion behind closed doors in executive discussion, a step the judge determined was unnecessary. “The case was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction,” said Eckhardt. “So there’s really nothing to take into executive session except to say that it may come back on the legal question of whether or not the Commissioners Court has the ability to limit the duration of amplified sound for a mass-gathering permit.” Sherine Thomas, director of the county’s Civil Litigation Division, confirmed that the letter in which Judge Tim Sulak revealed his decision was not a final ruling. An attorney for Euphoria Music and Camping Festival, the outfit that launched the suit, has confirmed to the Austin Monitor that the festival is considering whether to appeal.