Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe Posts Bail, Still in Czech Custody

The ongoing legal saga of Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe had an important development today (July 3); he made bail. Blythe posted the approximately $200,000 bail in Prague, but remains in Czech custody due to statutory deadlines and holidays.

Blythe was arrested at the Prague airport last week  in connection with a 2010 incident at a Lamb of God concert where there was an alleged altercation, with the end result being a fan suffered a brain injury and later died. Video that is purportedly from that show has surfaced.  Blythe has not been officially charged, but could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter.

So why is Blythe still incarcerated after posting bail? According to Blabbermouth, Prague district 8 court Judge Petr Fassati says prosecutors have three days to decide whether to approve Blythe’s release. And since Thursday and Friday are Czech holidays, the deadline is Monday, July 9. And if the prosecutor approves the release, the court has another three days to provide an official comment. There is also the possibility that the prosecutor and court could oppose Blythe’s release, meaning the bail could be canceled.

There are still a lot of legal issues to play out, and in the meantime Blythe remains in jail. No matter what the outcome, this incident could have wide-ranging implications when it comes to stage security issues.  As I Lay Dying drummer Jordan Mancino told us, “I think it’s one of those things, especially at metal shows and heavy music shows, it’s something that I think the crowd comes to expect. It’s intense music and fans want to get involved because they feel that intensity. And I think a lot of it comes down to venues and security preparation to make sure that the crowd is safe and the band is safe."

The metal community has rallied behind Blythe since his arrest, with many tweeting messages of support.  However, GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus is criticizing the mainstream media for not paying more attention to the case.