In a highly anticipated ruling, a federal judge has dismissed most of the civil counts against former President Donald Trump and two others in connection with the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick during the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6.
In his 12-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta cleared Trump of three of the five civil counts in a lawsuit filed last January by Sandra Garza, Sicknick’s girlfriend.
The lawsuit sought damages from all three men for claims of wrongful death, conspiracy to violate civil rights, and negligence per se based on D.C.’s anti-riot law.
Mehta dismissed the wrongful death act count and both negligence per se allegations against Trump. However, Garza’s claims against the defendants under D.C.’s Survival Act and the conspiracy to violate a civil rights claim will proceed. The Survival Act allows an individual’s legal representative to pursue legal action on their behalf after their death.
The ruling means that the Trump legal team can breathe a sigh of relief as the ex-president will no longer face charges of wrongful death and negligence. However, the conspiracy and survival claims could still land him in hot water if they proceed to trial.
The decision today has generated mixed reactions from lawmakers and legal experts across the country. Some are calling it a victory for Trump, while others are calling it a miscarriage of justice. Mark Zaid, an attorney representing Garza, declined to comment on the ruling.
