Former US President Donald Trump Ordered to Compensate E. Jean Carroll with $83.3 Million
Came from the source of Reader Wall, a New York jury placed an order on former US President and potential 2024 candidate, Donald Trump, on Friday to pay $83.3 million in compensation to writer E. Jean Carroll. This came following the court’s finding that Trump had sexually assaulted and defamed her.
The order, notably civil, was received with audible gasps from the federal court. The ordered amount well surpasses the more than $10 million in defamation damages that Carroll had initially sought.
An Immediate Response from Trump
Trump immediately hit back, deeming the verdict “ridiculous”. In his statement, he vowed to appeal against the decision.
The jury arrived at its conclusion after a consideration period of less than three hours. Trump had made his presence known in court earlier in the day, leaving abruptly at one point before returning for the closing arguments. However, when the court clerk was announcing the amounts of compensatory and punitive damages, he was absent from the court.
Post-Verdict Approach
In the aftermath of the court’s verdict, Trump’s legal representative, Alina Habba, expressed gratitude to the court staff. A moment of levity was observed when a juror exchanged smiles with Carroll as she exited the courtroom with eight others. This occurred after the judge suggested they prioritise their privacy.
Judge Lewis Kaplan commended the jury for their attentive approach after the verdict was announced.
The order consisted of punitive damages worth $65 million, collectively decided upon by the jury for Trump’s malicious comments aimed at Carroll publicly. Another $7.3 million was charged for compensatory damages, and $11 million was allocated for a reputational repair program.
Trump’s Recourse
Losing in a separate federal civil case for sexually assaulting Carroll in New York, Trump chose to take to his Truth Social platform to vent his frustrations. He launched a series of offensive messages targeted at Carroll, the trial, and even the presiding judge, calling him an “extremely abusive individual.”
The 77-year-old briefly testified on Thursday, denying all allegations of having directed harm towards Carroll through his statements.
Limited Access to Reflection
During his testimony, Judge Kaplan provided him with only three questions to respond to. The answers to these questions were strictly confined to “yes” or “no.” These precautions were taken to prevent Trump from making potentially disparaging remarks about the court or Carroll during his public appearance.
“This is not America,” were his resentful remarks as he left the courtroom after his short-lived presence.
Despite his absence not being obligatory, he used the trial, and others like it, to bolster his media coverage and reinforce claims of victimization as he prepares for the upcoming White House elections in November.
Trump is concurrently facing multiple criminal allegations, including conspiracy to overrule the 2020 Presidential Election results, a loss to Joe Biden, and a civil business fraud case.
Increased Tension in the Courtroom
On Thursday, Habba tried to have the case dismissed. She claimed that threats towards Carroll surfaced on social media before Trump’s derisive comments made in 2019. Her request was ultimately denied.
The jurors were presented with a deposition of Trump from October 2022. During this, he could not tell the difference between a picture of Carroll and Marla Maples, his ex-wife. This threatened to undermine his statement that Carroll was not his “type.”
In 1996, Trump was found guilty for sexually assaulting Carroll in a store dressing room. His situation worsened when he defamed her in 2022, referring to her as a ‘complete con job’.
Despite these issues, he attended court during his campaign ahead of the New Hampshire primary. He triumphed over his lone remaining contender, Nikki Haley. This indicates the probability of him becoming the Republican candidate in the November election against Biden.
