In a bizarre twist of legal reasoning, a federal jury ordered a massive $500,000 restitution for an incident that took place more than a week after the January 6 protests.
Specifically, a 69-year-old chiropractor must pay half a million dollars to the widow of a police officer who committed suicide nine days after the incident.
Even though the judge dismissed claims that David Walls-Kaufman’s actions could have caused a traumatic brain injury leading to Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith’s death, the jury still awarded damages for alleged assault.
The eight-member jury ordered Walls-Kaufman to pay $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Erin Smith for assaulting her husband.
An additional $60,000 was awarded to Jeffrey Smith’s estate for claimed pain and suffering.
The verdict raises serious questions about legal culpability, especially since U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta had already dismissed Erin Smith’s wrongful-death claim against Walls-Kaufman.
The judge explicitly stated that no reasonable juror could link Walls-Kaufman’s actions to Smith’s suicide, and that his actions could not have caused a traumatic brain injury leading to Smith’s death.
Walls-Kaufman has firmly denied assaulting Smith during the Capitol protest. When asked about the verdict, Walls-Kaufman called the outcome “absolutely ridiculous.”
The contradiction between the judge’s dismissal of the wrongful death claim and the jury’s substantial award highlights the often political nature of cases related to January 6.
Judge Mehta even encouraged both parties to consider a settlement to avoid an appeal, suggesting concerns about the verdict’s legal standing.
According to court documents, Smith had no prior mental health issues before the January 6 protest, and the police department had cleared him to return to duty before his suicide.
The District of Columbia Police and Firefighters’ Retirement and Relief Board later ruled Smith’s injury was the direct cause of his death.
This came despite the federal judge’s contrary finding that Walls-Kaufman’s actions couldn’t have caused such an injury.
Walls-Kaufman had previously served a 60-day prison sentence for a Capitol protest-related misdemeanor but was later pardoned.
“Erin is grateful to receive some measure of justice,” said David P. Weber, one of her attorneys.
The case is part of a broader narrative surrounding the January 6 Capitol protests.
While reports claim over 100 law enforcement officers were injured, many remain skeptical of these figures given the politically charged nature of the investigation.
For instance, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was initially reported to have died from injuries sustained during the protest.
He was later determined to have died of natural causes, according to the medical examiner.
This case raises serious concerns about judicial overreach and the ability of American citizens to receive fair treatment in courts when the cases involve politically charged events.
