Former President Trump Faces $83.3 Million Verdict in Defamation Suit
News comes directly from a reliable source on Reader Wall that a US federal jury recently ordered Donald Trump, the former president, to pay $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll for defamation. Carroll had alleged Trump harmed her career by discrediting her account of sexual assault that supposedly happened three decades ago.
Carroll’s Lawsuit Against Trump
Carroll, a journalist of 80 years, had lodged a lawsuit against Trump in November 2019. He had responded to her accusations of rape from approximately five months earlier by claiming that he had never met her before. Carroll alleges the incident took place inside a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 90s, and the subsequent denials of the former president have tarnished her reputation.
Trump’s defense team argued that Carroll was merely capitalizing on her 15 minutes of fame and relishing the attention she received after targeting the ex-president.
Prior Similar Convictions Against Trump
It’s noteworthy that Trump had been previously told to pay $5 million to Carroll. This past ruling was in May last year when the jury saw merits in allegations that Trump defamed and assaulted Carroll in October 2022. Trump’s attorneys are currently appealing this decision.
Carroll had demanded a minimum of $10 million more for this current trial, citing irreparable damage to her reputation as a reputed journalist committed to the truth. Carroll insisted on punitive damages as a preventive measure against further denials from Trump.
The Role of Judge Lewis Kaplan
Judge Lewis Kaplan of the US District Court presided over both these trials. He decreed that the previous verdict would be instrumental in the ongoing case, meaning that the jury would only need to determine the extent of compensatory damages to be awarded to Carroll.
2023 Presidential Campaign
Trump, a prominent figure in the Republican Party, leverages both Carroll’s case and his ongoing legal struggles to reinvigorate his campaign for the presidential elections scheduled for November. It is expected to be a face-off with Democrats’ representative Joe Biden, who ousted Trump in the 2020 elections.
Trump’s Legal Woes
Trump is battling against a total of 91 felony counts across four criminal charges. Trump is also embroiled in two cases that allege he went to illegal lengths to change the outcome of his electoral loss in 2020. Trump has pleaded innocent in all these ongoing trials. He continues to paint himself as the unfortunate victim being targeted by politically biased falsehoods and an allegedly dysfunctional judiciary.
Concluding Trial Events
On the final day of Carroll’s trial, Trump was seen muttering remarks about a purportedly rigged judicial process. He was also seen leaving the courtroom during his opponent’s closing statement made by Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan. Trump returned in time to listen to the final argument from his lawyer, Alina Habba.
E. Jean Carroll was the author of “Ask E. Jean” column which appeared in Elle magazine between 1993 and 2019. She was a regular contributor to programs such as NBC’s “Today” and ABC’s “Good Morning America”. Carroll claims that Trump’s denials affected her chances of appearing again on these programs.
