Sutherland Springs victims say they've reached $144.5M settlement with DOJ
Last edited Wed Apr 5, 2023, 01:19 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: NBC News
WASHINGTON — The victims of the 2017 mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in which 26 were killed, have reached a "tentative agreement" with the Justice Department to settle a case against the federal government for $144.5 million. If the settlement is finalized, it will likely end a yearslong legal battle over a federal judge's ruling that the U.S. government bears some responsibility for the attack because it failed to submit the shooter's criminal history into a database that would have prevented him from purchasing firearms.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, the Justice Department said that it had reached “an agreement in principle” that “would resolve the pending appeals." The agreement won't be finalized, according to the agency, until the plaintiffs' secure necessary court approvals. The court, the Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in this instance, is required to "approve some aspects of the settlement."
“No words or amount of money can diminish the immense tragedy of the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement. “Today’s announcement brings the litigation to a close, ending a painful chapter for the victims of this unthinkable crime.”
Jamal Alsaffar, the lead trial attorney for the victims, called the Sutherland Springs families heroes and said "the country owes them a debt of gratitude" for pursuing their lawsuit, even as it forced them to relive the traumatic shooting. The legal episode is not yet over for the families, however, despite the "pain and loss" they have endured, he said.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sutherland-springs-victims-say-reached-1445-million-settlement-doj-rcna78245
What might be a "hiccup" here is if DOJ needs those funds to be appropriated by Congress and the gun humping batshit crazy House refuses or delays providing those funds (like what was done over a decade ago thanks to dumb fuck Tom Coburn with the Pigsford II settlement agreed to/signed off by the Dept. of Agriculture).
Article updated.
Original article -
The agreement has to be approved by Attorney General Merrick Garland. If he signs off, it would end a yearslong legal battle over a federal judge's ruling that the U.S. government bears some responsibility for the attack because it failed to submit the shooter's criminal history into a database that would have prevented him from purchasing firearms.
Jamal Alsaffar, the lead trial attorney for the victims, called the Sutherland Springs families heroes and said "the country owes them a debt of gratitude" for pursuing their lawsuit, even as it forced them to relive the traumatic shooting. The legal episode is not yet over for the families, however, despite the "pain and loss" they have endured, he said.
"These families fought for justice, endured and won two trials against the federal government and made this country safer as a result. But the settlement is not final," Alsaffar said. "Attorney General Garland’s office still must approve it, and we urge his Justice Department to act quickly to bring some closure to these families. It’s the least they deserve." The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.
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That can range to thirty-three to fifty percent. An average of forty-one percent would put it closer to $3.25M per person.
Rocknation
