A New York federal judge, Lewis Kaplan, has denied former President Donald Trump's request for a new trial regarding monetary damages in the case where a jury ordered him to pay
$5 million for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
The jury found Trump guilty of sexually abusing Carroll in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan during the mid-1990s. They also found him guilty of defaming Carroll when he denied her allegations last fall.
Trump's lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, plans to appeal the decision on damages after the court rejected Trump's request for a new trial or a reduction in the monetary award.
Carroll's lawyer, Robbie Kaplan, expressed satisfaction with the court's decision and stated that Carroll looks forward to receiving the $5 million in damages awarded to her. Additionally, Carroll plans to hold Trump accountable in the upcoming trial in the lawsuit known as Carroll I, scheduled to begin on January 15, 2024.
In Carroll I, Carroll alleges that Trump defamed her in 2019 when he denied her rape accusations publicly. The Department of Justice recently dropped its attempt to shield Trump from civil liability in that lawsuit, indicating that Trump could be personally sued for his statements about Carroll.
In addition to the civil cases, Trump is facing two criminal indictments. In Manhattan state court, he is accused of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016. He has pleaded not guilty in that case. Trump is also charged in Florida federal court with multiple felonies related to retaining classified government records and obstructing efforts to recover those records. He has pleaded not guilty in this case as well, and he is seeking a trial delay until after the 2024 election.
As the Republican presidential primary season approaches, Trump remains the leading candidate for the GOP nomination. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.