Judge rejects Trump bid to delay Jan. 6 civil suit

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected former President Donald Trump's efforts to pause a civil lawsuit against him related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot while a criminal case against him over the same event proceeds.

Sandra Garza, the partner of the late Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, had sued Trump for civil damages over the Capitol Police officer's death. Sicknick died on Jan. 7 after suffering two strokes. He was hit with pepper spray during the riot and the medical examiner later indicated that "all that transpired played a role in his condition," despite ruling the death a natural one, The Hill reported.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Wednesday rejected the Trump team's request to pause the suit, calling the bid "premature."

"Further, the balance of interests, including Plaintiff’s and the public’s in moving this matter forward, do not favor a stay," he added.

Trump's attorneys had argued that addressing the civil case could affect the former president's defense in special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution. They filed the request for stay in August, shortly after Trump's indictment on criminal charges. Trump further requested his dismissal from the case entirely, citing presidential immunity, though Mehta has yet to rule on that matter.

"This case remains at the motion-to-dismiss stage. The claimed dilemma posed by simultaneously defending himself in this case and his criminal case only will arise, if at all, during the discovery phase," the judge wrote.

Apart from Trump, Garza also sued the two participants in the riot who engaged with Sicknick, seeking $10 million and punitive damages from each.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.