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| Former US President Donald Trump watches footage of himself giving a video deposition during the second civil trial where Carroll accused former US President Donald Trump of raping her decades ago, at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City, US, January 25, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. Photo: Reuters |
Manhattan Jury Orders Trump to Pay $83.3 Million in Defamation Case
Former President Donald Trump faced a resounding defeat on Friday as a Manhattan jury instructed him to pay $83.3 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of damaging her reputation by denying allegations of rape. The swift verdict, reached in less than three hours following a five-day trial in Manhattan federal court, far surpassed Carroll's minimum request of $10 million. Trump, adamant in his denial, plans to appeal the decision.
Carroll's case has become a focal point in Trump's bid to reclaim the White House in the upcoming November US election, where he is the leading contender for the Republican nomination. Despite attending most of the trial, Trump was notably absent from the courtroom during the announcement of the verdict.
Taking to social media, Trump decried the legal system, asserting that it is being used as a political weapon. In a statement, Carroll, 80, expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, describing it as a "great victory for every woman who stands up when she's been knocked down" and a significant setback for those who seek to silence women.
The former Elle magazine advice columnist initiated the lawsuit against Trump in November 2019, alleging that his denials of raping her in the mid-1990s at a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in Manhattan had irreparably damaged her journalistic credibility. Carroll testified that Trump's denials had shattered her reputation as a truth-telling journalist.
The anonymous jury, consisting of seven men and two women, awarded Carroll $18.3 million in compensatory damages, including $11 million for harm to her reputation. Additionally, punitive damages of $65 million were granted to deter Trump from further defaming her.
Trump, 77, reiterated that he had never heard of Carroll and accused her of fabricating the story to boost sales of her memoir. His legal team argued that Carroll sought fame and enjoyed the attention from supporters who rallied behind her accusations.
This recent ruling follows a May 2023 decision where another jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $5 million over a similar defamation case related to an October 2022 denial. Trump is currently appealing that decision and has set aside $5.55 million with the Manhattan court during the ongoing process. Both legal battles are expected to extend over several years. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, overseeing both trials, clarified that the earlier verdict applied to the second trial, leaving the jury to determine the financial restitution Trump should pay.
'It will not deter us'
Alina Habba, who spearheaded Trump's defense in Carroll's case, framed Friday's verdict in political terms and confidently anticipated that Trump's appeal would prevail.
"President Trump is leading in the polls, and this outcome reflects the New York landscape," Habba asserted to reporters. "It will not dissuade us; we will persist, and I can assure you that while today may not be a victory for us, victory will be ours."
On Friday, Trump abruptly exited the courtroom during the closing argument presented by Carroll's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan (unrelated to the judge), only to return for Habba's concluding statements.
Throughout his legal challenges, Trump has consistently portrayed himself as the target of politically motivated falsehoods and a judicial system that he perceives as biased and unrestrained.
Trump is currently facing 91 felony counts in four criminal indictments, including allegations of attempting to illegally overturn his 2020 election defeat. Additionally, he awaits a forthcoming decision, possibly this month, from a New York judge on the extent of penalties in state Attorney General Letitia James' $370 million civil fraud lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization.
Amid the Carroll trial, Trump was overheard expressing disdain, referring to the case as a "con job" and a "witch hunt." He reiterated his unfamiliarity with Carroll, prompting the judge to admonish him twice for disrupting proceedings.
Closing arguments
During her closing argument, Kaplan, Carroll's lawyer, contended that Trump treated her client as if he were not constrained by the law and insisted that he should face substantial consequences.
In response, Habba argued that the catalyst for the attacks stemmed from the publication of excerpts from Carroll's memoir in New York magazine, rather than Trump's denials that commenced five hours later. Habba additionally asserted that Carroll appeared to relish her newfound fame and that coming forward had left her "happier than ever."
Trump provided testimony on Thursday, but his time on the witness stand was limited to four minutes as the judge prohibited revisiting issues already settled in the first trial. Trump stood by his October 2022 deposition testimony, presented to jurors, where he dismissed Carroll's claims as a "hoax" and labeled her as "mentally sick."
Carroll, known for her "Ask E Jean" column in Elle from 1993 to 2019 and frequent appearances on programs like NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America," claimed that those opportunities dwindled due to Trump's actions.
