Chicago US court suspends some civil cases during shutdown

CHICAGO (AP) - U.S. District Court in Chicago is among the federal courts nationwide suspending civil cases where one party is the federal government.

Chief U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo issued a Wednesday order suspending all such civil litigation for two weeks because of the government shutdown that began last week.

Among the suspended cases are ones where people are suing the U.S. government to get Social Security money they say they are owed.

Asylum and some extradition cases also fall under the order.

That includes the extradition case of Neringa Venckiene (vehn-KEE'-ehn-nay), an ex-Lithuanian legislator jailed in Chicago and wanted in Lithuania on charges stemming from her claims there's a ring of influential pedophiles in her homeland. She says the charges are politically motivated and that she could be killed if extradited.