Sutherland Springs victims can take federal government to trial for mass shooting, Texas judge rules
AUSTIN — A federal judge in Texas has said victims of the 2017 church massacre in Sutherland Springs can continue their lawsuit against the U.S. government for its role in the shooting.
U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez's Thursday ruling is a huge victory for the nine families in the case, which allows them to put federal authorities on trial for alleged negligence. Rodriguez dismissed the government's motion to throw out the case and said the families can begin the discovery process, which allows their lawyers to gather documents and seek interviews with which to make their case.
"The ruling affirms what we've known all along, and that is that these families' and victims' claims against the government are valid and just," Jamal Alsaffar, an attorney for four of the families, told The Dallas Morning News. "Judge Rodriguez's very thorough ruling allows these families to finally seek and have their day in court and seek accountability from the government."
The doctrine of sovereign immunity makes suing the federal government almost impossible. But under the Federal Tort Claims Act, people can seek damages in limited cases if they can prove direct negligence on the part of the government.
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2019/05/23/sutherland-springs-victims-can-sue-federal-government-mass-shooting-texas-judge-rules