A jury will decide how much former President Donald Trump must compensate columnist E Jean Carroll for comments made in 2019 in which he denied sexually assaulting her. This case is expected to last approximately one week.
Last year, Carroll won a $5 Million verdict at trial related to sexual abuse; this time around is focused solely on any damage done to her reputation or any damages she owes as part of that ruling.
Jury selection
Jury selection for former President Donald Trump’s trial over advice columnist E. Jean Carroll‘s allegations of sexual abuse and defamation has begun, following her award of $5 Million last year in another case that found he sexually abused her at Bergdorf Goodman department store during the 1990s, before lying about it when she went public with it.
Jurors must determine that it is more likely than not that Trump raped or sexually abused Carroll at Bergdorf Goodman store locker room in either 1995 or 1996 in order to convict him on battery counts. If defamation charges arise, jurors will need to find that Trump made statements through Truth Social denouncing the rape allegations made against her as false and made with malice on October 20, 2022 denying their existence and calling Carroll’s story an elaborate “con job”.
The process involves asking prospective jurors whether they have made contributions to political campaigns, whether they follow conspiracy theories such as QAnon and are members of extremist groups like Three Percenters, Oath Keepers or Ku Klux Klan. No juror raised their hand when asked if they thought the 2020 election had been stolen – an allegation often made by Trump and his supporters.
Opening statements
After questioning prospective jurors selected from a pool that included janitors, physical therapists, security employees and those working in health care collections, libraries, high schools and other sites for an entire day, defense lawyers rested their case and informed jurors they could not find evidence that Carroll was lying or that President Donald Trump’s statements regarding her during his presidency were defamatory.
Trump’s attorneys have suggested he could testify during this trial. It is one of two civil proceedings stemming from allegations by Carroll of sexual assault by Donald Trump at an uptown Manhattan luxury department store three decades earlier.
Last May, a jury determined that Donald Trump sexually abused Carroll and defamed her with statements made about her by himself; and awarded her damages of $5 Million. But the judge in this week’s trial has decided that previous verdict may stand and instead will determine how much Trump must pay Carroll for her damages.
Witnesses
After New York magazine columnist Stephanie Zappone accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her at Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room during the 1990s, he defamed her by suggesting she was lying. As a result, this week marks the penalty phase of her civil suit against Trump.
Trial proceedings will center around damages in advice columnist E Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit filed in 2019 following Donald Trump’s comments that her allegations of sexual assault are “hoaxes and lies, invented just to sell books”.
Defense lawyers allege that Laura Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff conspired with other witnesses like Laura Leeds to falsely accuse Donald Trump of assaulting Alice Carroll out of animus against his victory in the presidential election. Their plan is to call several witnesses that do not believe Carroll’s allegations; her legal representation plans on calling two confidantes from after the incident as witnesses against Trump; additionally a judge has ordered certain restrictions on what Trump can say during testimony – such as not attacking Carroll or that she fabricated her claims about him taking the stand – subject to judge review before taking his stand such as saying neither accusation existed or lie about them being truthful or not having taken place.
Damages
After a jury finds former President Donald Trump liable for sexually assaulting magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll at Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room during the 1990s and defaming her when denying their claims, a federal judge will assess damages, if any. Jury selection begins Tuesday followed by opening statements.
Last year, in a civil trial, a jury held Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation after he denied raping her. Judge Lewis Kaplan has decided that this verdict can carry over into this defamation trial, which will focus solely on damages.
Carroll has filed suit, seeking $10 Million in compensatory and punitive damages from Trump and his Truth Social statement, alleging “hoax”. Her damages cover medical expenses, lost earnings, post traumatic stress disorder symptoms and more – as well as being able to share her story publicly.
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