Federal Civil Cases Remain Frozen Due to Government Shutdown

When federal funding lapses — as it did on October 1, 2025 — the impact extends beyond Washington. It reaches federal courthouses across the country, including the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, where thousands of civil cases involve the United States, its agencies, or federal employees. This impacts the ability of injury victims to move forward with their lawsuits and obtain necessary compensation.

Due to the lapse in federal funding, Civil cases involving the U.S. Attorney’s Office have been stayed in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.  In re Stay of Certain Civil Cases Pending the Restoration of Department of Justice Funding, Admin. Order No. 2025-15 (E.D.N.Y. Oct. 2, 2025) (Brodie, C.J.); In re Stay of Certain Civil Cases Pending the Restoration of Department of Justice Funding, Standing Order M10-468 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 1, 2025).

In a clarifying Order, issued by Magistrate Judge James R. Cho with regards to a medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuit being prosecuted by The Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm, it was confirmed that the stay pertains to all deadlines and all parties, not only the Unites States Attorney’s Office. Joachim v. United States, No. 1:23-cv-03325 (E.D.N.Y. Oct. 7, 2025) (order granting motion to stay).

When a case is stayed, it is held in abeyance, and all Court deadlines are paused. This means that no new filings, motions, or discovery can occur until the stay is lifted. Moreover, the government’s attorneys, most of whom are DOJ employees, are prohibited from working during the lapse in appropriations, even voluntarily. Once funding resumes, the stay will automatically lift, and cases will resume where they left off.

This delay affects the ability of injured parties to move forward with their lawsuit, including pausing critical discovery and trial scheduling. It is imperative that the government funding lapse be restored as soon as possible to allow for the advancement of these civil claims and justice for accident victims to be achieved.