A Travis County district court heard nearly three hours of legal argument Wednesday morning in the Camp Mystic flood litigation's most pivotal procedural fight - whether the families of children who died in the July 4, 2025 Guadalupe River flood will have their day before a public jury or be forced into private arbitration.

The hearing before Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in Austin featured competing arguments on whether Camp Mystic and its co-defendants have already forfeited their right to demand arbitration - and whether the arbitration agreements are legally enforceable to begin with.

The defense case for arbitration Defense counsel opened by invoking the Federal Arbitration Act, arguing it governs the camp's Participation Agreements because Camp Mystic's enrollment involved interstate commerce - specifically, the use of a Colorado-based internet portal to process fees, the hiring of international workers, and the enrollment of out-of-state campers.