Trump asks for hold on Jan. 6 lawsuit due to federal charges

Updated: Aug 15, 2023 / 12:15 PM CDT

Former President Trump is asking for a hold on a lawsuit related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol due to his federal charges.

The partner of Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who died after responding to the Jan. 6 insurrection, sued the former president and two rioters charged with assaulting Sicknick earlier this year. Sandra Garza alleged that Trump and the two rioters, Julian Khater and George Tanios, are “directly and vicariously liable” for Sicknick’s death.

Now, Trump’s lawyers are asking the court to hold off on Garza’s lawsuit because it “overlaps substantially” with the federal indictment brought against him earlier this month related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He was charged in four counts in the federal case, which alleges that Trump was the director of a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and also engaged in a campaign to block the certification of votes Jan. 6.

“Forcing President Trump to defend this case while simultaneously defending a criminal prosecution based on related conduct would undoubtedly compromise either his right to defend himself in this case, his criminal defense, or both,” his lawyers wrote in a court filing Monday.

“Accordingly, President Trump respectfully requests that this Court stay this case, at least insofar as it relates to President Trump until final resolution of his criminal proceedings.”

Trump’s lawyers filed this motion to stay before he was indicted for the fourth time this year — this time in Georgia on 13 counts in connection with efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.

Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes the day after he worked to defend the Capitol in 2021. The lawsuit seeks $30 million in damages from Trump and the two rioters and alleges wrongful death.

“As a direct result of the attack by Defendants Khater and Tanios and others — which Defendant Trump instigated — Officer Sicknick suffered physical injuries,” the lawsuit states. “The following day, on January 7, 2021, Officer Sicknick tragically died.”