A civil lawsuit against former President Donald Trump will proceed after a federal judge denied a request to postpone the case, The Hill reported. The lawsuit stems from Trump's alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The former president's legal team sought to delay the proceedings in August after he was slapped with yet another indictment. Trump faces four criminal trials stemming from his conduct following the 2020 presidential election and the incident at the Capitol.
He pleaded not guilty in all those cases, which means each will be litigated in court and possibly concurrent with this civil case. Still, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said a delay was "unwarranted" and dismissed his motion.
"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," he wrote in his opinion of Trump's claim.
"His request is, therefore, premature," Mehta added. "Further, the balance of interests, including Plaintiff’s and the public’s in moving this matter forward, do not favor a stay."
The civil case was brought over the death of Officer Brian Sicknick following Trump's involvement in the Capitol riot. The officer's longtime girlfriend, Sandra Garza, sued Trump for his alleged role as a contributing factor to Sicknick's death by inciting the riot.
There are three included in the civil suit, including the former president plus two others who allegedly assaulted Sicknick. Garza is seeking $10 million plus punitive damage from each defendant for a wrongful death claim.
This is a stretch, considering Sicknick suffered two strokes that ultimately took his life. The officer sustained no injuries in the line of duty that day except for getting pepper sprayed.
The coroner ruled Sicknick's death was from "natural causes" but added that "all that transpired played a role in his condition." The case against Trump will determine to what extent the former president is responsible for what happened that created the conditions necessary for Sicknick's demise.
Meanwhile, Trump is now expected to move ahead with his defense on this case amid all of the other legal troubles. "Absent a stay, President Trump will be placed in the untenable position of fully litigating this case and risking his criminal defense, or pleading the Fifth Amendment and hampering his chance of success in this case," attorneys for Trump said in their legal filings with the court.
This civil lawsuit is an extension of a narrative about Jan. 6 that was put in place by Democrats and the media. They have repeatedly called the riot that day a "deadly insurrection," but it's purposely misleading, then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson said in a bombshell report about Jan. 6.
Original reports claimed Sicknick was injured after being hit in the head by Trump supporters. However, video footage that Carlson released to the public contradicted that narrative as it showed Sicknick alive, well, and wearing a helmet while escorting people out of the building.
"They lied about the police officer they claimed to revere. If they were willing to do that, then their dishonesty knew no limits," Carlson pointed out.
Trump is the victim of vicious attacks on many fronts, including in the courts. Hopefully, this civil case against him will be dismissed as it is built on shaky merits.
