The lawsuit between Kesha and Dr. Luke started out ugly—with the performer accusing the producer of rape and forced drug use and a countersuit alleging defamation—and things haven't gotten much better since. Multiple motions have been filed in multiple states and now Dr. Luke's party is bothered that California has been ruled as the primary place of action, which means lawsuits present in Tennessee and New York will be forced to wait.
The general understanding, according to Billboard, is that states will move when possible to avoid being the first to act, due to overcrowded dockets. If another court can make a decision that will settle lawsuits without taking up court time, so be it. New York Supreme Court justice Shirley Kornreich made a logical enough ruling that the lawsuit should be tackled in California first: Both the defendant and the plaintiff reside in that state, and the alleged rape occurred there.
That makes enough sense but Dr. Luke's side isn't happy about it. First of all, that ruling makes the alleged rape the primary focus among the many charges (as it should be). Luke, of course, denies that charge, claiming that all of the allegations being brought by Kesha are the result of her wanting to get out of a contract. That contract dispute would fall under the authority of the New York court system. Therefore Luke and his legal team see the latest ruling as a coup for Kesha, giving her side control over what issue gets primary consideration.
If Luke is truly not guilty, then yes: It sucks. But considering we live in what we consider to be a somewhat civilized society, it also makes sense that rape proceedings supersede contractual disputes.
His team has filed an appeal to Kornreich's ruling, presumably to head to New York first. No matter where this trial starts and finishes, expect it to stay ugly.
