A Marion Superior Court Judge scheduled a hearing for this Friday (March 23) at the request of Mid-America Sound Corp., the company that built the roof and rigging that held the lights and sound equipment which collapsed in the Aug. 13 Indiana State Fair tragedy. The hearing will determine whether or not the judge will grant Mid-America’s request that Sugarland‘s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, as well as a representative from their ownership company, Lucky Star, Inc., be forced to appear in court to give depositions about the incident.

Since Sugarland have yet to agree to making the requested appearance, claims have been circulating that they’re not being cooperative in the lawsuits filed against them, but the band’s attorney is insisting that this simply isn’t the case. Sugarland’s attorneys filed a motion yesterday (March 20) asking the court to delay the depositions with a protective order.

“Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush have not refused to give depositions; they are simply refusing to be bullied into doing so on short notice without sufficient time to prepare,” the band’s spokesman Allan Mayer said in a statement (quotes via RTV6). “They and we very much share in the anguish of all those touched by this terrible tragedy, but no one’s interests are served by trying to short-circuit the legal process.”

Even though the band is getting ready to jump into their five-month In Your Hands Tour in April, Mayer insists that they would be willing to appear in court to give their depositions — if only they were given until May to adequately prepare. ”In this light, Mid-America’s latest filing appears to be motivated more by a desire for publicity than a sincere interest in seeing justice done,” he said.

Nettles and Bush will have to wait until Friday to see whether the judge rules in their favor, or requires them to be in court next week to speak about the sensitive and horrific event that killed seven and injured 58. The duo are facing several lawsuits surrounding the incident, because they were contractually obligated to make the final say on whether or not to postpone the show for inclement weather, and they opted to go on with the show.

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