It wasn’t quite the “trial of the century,” but 30 years ago this week, the Limestone County Courthouse was abuzz with excitement.

The reason for the commotion was a lawsuit filed by two North Alabama teens against the rock band Mötley Crüe. The men claimed they were injured by pyrotechnics during the band’s Sept. 27, 1985, performance at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center.

Robbie Miller of Piney Chapel was struck in the right eye and lost his eye. David Wright of Grant had his lip split by the same type of “unknown object” that hit Miller. The objects were thought to be dry ice or other materials.

Miller sought damages of $2.2 million for the loss of his eye, while Wright sought $400,000, according to published media reports. Also named in the lawsuit were the city of Huntsville, the Von Braun Center and the center’s board of directors.

The band’s production company, Sound Seventy, was also named.

The trial began Monday, May 9, 1988, in Circuit Court Judge Henry Blizzard’s court. Huntsville-based attorneys for the plaintiffs had originally argued that because the incident occurred in Huntsville, the trial should be held in Madison County. Blizzard refused a change of venue, however, and the Alabama Supreme Court ultimately sided with him.

It was initially reported none of the band’s four members would be called to testify in the case because they had previously provided depositions. Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, however, did come to Athens to testify on the band’s behalf.

When he arrived Monday, there was little commotion. Melissa Stephenson, a 16-year-old Elkmont student, was at the courthouse on an unrelated matter. When Sixx and his manager walked in, Stephenson — a Crüe fan — immediately recognized him.

“My mouth just dropped,” she said. “When they took a break (in the trial), I asked for his autograph.”

A photographer snapped a picture of her getting Sixx’s signature, and it appeared on the front page of the May 10 edition of The News Courier. Stephenson’s mom, who was with her that day, also met Sixx, but she didn’t want to be in the photo.

Stephenson was familiar with the lawsuit, because she knew Miller from school.

When word spread Sixx was in town, the television crews and teens began filling up the courthouse.

“(Kids) were piled there in the hallways of the courthouse,” Stephenson said. “The kids were dodging the cameras because they knew they were supposed to be in school.”

Arriving by chauffeured car, Sixx was greeted by a throng of about 300 fans outside, according to published media reports from the trial.

The News Courier’s Karen Middleton was just one of the many reporters covering the trial, though she doesn’t recall being in the courtroom. Her daughter, Amy Middleton, was in the courtroom covering the trial for radio.

“It seems like she said Nikki Sixx pointed at her and winked,” Middleton said.

Sixx, who was just one in a long list of witnesses, testified he didn’t know how the teens were injured.

Jim Alexander, an attorney from the plaintiffs, claimed that since Sound Seventy was not licensed as a foreign corporation to do business in Alabama, state law provides for trial in any county in the state. Blizzard, however, dropped Sound Seventy and the city of Huntsville from the lawsuit.

After listening to six days of testimony and deliberating for nearly seven hours, a five-man, seven-woman jury told Limestone County Circuit Judge Henry Blizzard they were deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared.

The following month, Miller and Wright ultimately accepted a settlement in excess of $175,000, which was paid by Mötley Crüe’s insurer, Fireman’s Fund, according to published media reports.

Stephenson said she keeps the photo of her and Sixx on her wall. Also in the frame is Sixx’s signature, which was written on a piece of paper she had with her at the time.

“He’s the only famous person I’ve ever run into in Limestone County,” she said.