Judge Rules on Wrongful Death Claim Brought Against Former President Donald Trump in Capitol Riot Lawsuit

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has issued a split decision in a lawsuit brought against former President Donald Trump by the partner of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the Capitol riot on January 6.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the wrongful death claim brought by Officer Sicknick’s partner, Sandra Garza, lacked standing to bring such a claim against Trump and defendants Julian Khater and George Tanios because she was not Sicknick’s spouse and did not meet the legal definition of being his domestic partner.

The judge noted that Garza’s contention that a ‘domestic partnership’ was established simply by Officer Sicknick having identified Garza as his ‘domestic partner’ in his will found no basis in the plain text of the statute.

However, the judge did allow the lawsuit to move forward on other claims, including a claim that Trump incited the rioters and violated the Ku Klux Klan Act. The judge noted that cellphone data could fill in gaps of Trump’s actions on January 6.

The lawsuit was filed by Garza in February, alleging that Trump and the two defendants were responsible for Sicknick’s death. The suit seeks unspecified damages. The case is still pending and a trial date has not yet been set.