Trump requests delay in civil Jan. 6 case amidst criminal case disputes.

Trump Requests Pause⁤ in Civil Lawsuit Amidst Criminal Case

Lawyers representing former President ‌Donald ‍Trump have asked the U.S. District ⁤Court for the District of Columbia⁢ to temporarily halt a civil lawsuit against ⁢him until the conclusion of the criminal case brought by⁤ the‌ Department of Justice. They ​argue that the civil case could⁣ pose⁢ challenges to his criminal defense ⁤and are also seeking to have ‌the case dismissed entirely.

“As Plaintiff has admitted, ⁤this ⁢case involves similar allegations to those made in the criminal indictment against President​ Trump in Washington, D.C., on ⁤August 2, 2023. ⁢Due to these similarities and the issues⁣ presented by concurrent criminal and civil litigation, this ⁤case should be stayed until ⁣the conclusion of ​those criminal proceedings,”​ wrote the attorneys.

“If a stay is not granted, President Trump will face the‍ impossible ⁤choice of fully litigating ‍this case and jeopardizing his criminal defense, or invoking the Fifth Amendment and compromising his chances of success,” the lawyers argued.

In ⁢January, Sandra Garza filed a lawsuit against the former president over the death of her partner, Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who passed away after the events of January 6, 2021. ⁢The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election and his incitement of supporters led to Sicknick’s death.

“This delay will only‌ minimally burden the plaintiff, as she ⁣will eventually have her day in‌ court,” the lawyers wrote.⁣ “Furthermore, the plaintiff waited nearly two years to bring these allegations, so she should not ⁣complain about any delay caused by ‌the DOJ’s‌ prosecution when she showed little urgency herself.”

“President Trump, on the other hand, only has one⁤ opportunity to clear his name ⁢of these criminal charges and can only ​present one defense in each case,” they added.

The lawyers also ​refuted the lawsuit’s claims that Trump lied about the election and incited violence, stating that presidents are⁢ expected to comment ‍on election results ⁤and petition ‌Congress to act​ in various ways.

Natural Causes

Brian Sicknick passed away on ⁢January 7, 2021, due to natural causes, specifically strokes, according to the U.S. Capitol Police ⁤(USCP) news release. Initially, his ⁣death was ​attributed to⁢ injuries sustained during the Capitol breach, but⁢ the medical examiner’s office later determined that strokes were the cause.

Sicknick, a⁢ 42-year-old Capitol Police officer who joined the department in⁢ 2008, was sprayed with a substance during the ‍events of January 6, 2021. The medical examiner‍ found that the ​strokes were not a result of an allergic reaction to the spray ‌and that there were⁣ no other injuries related to‍ the events of that day. However, they​ stated ⁢that everything that transpired played a‍ role in his condition.

In an interview with ‍ The Washington Post, the medical examiner did ‌not provide⁣ further details, citing ​privacy laws.

In January 2021, Sicknick’s family ⁢issued a statement through USCP,⁤ expressing⁤ their ⁢grief and describing him as a kind and humble soul who‌ loved ⁢his job.