January 16th 2024: This week, a Manhattan jury will weigh the arguments determining the damages former President Donald Trump should pay in a defamation case brought by Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll. Carroll is seeking $10 million (£7.9 million) in damages for comments made by Trump in 2019 regarding her and the rape allegations she made against him.
Last year, a New York jury found Trump guilty of sexual assault and defamation against Carroll, awarding her $5 million. The former president continues to deny any wrongdoing and is currently appealing the verdict. On Tuesday morning, Trump arrived at the courthouse to participate in jury selection, mere hours after delivering a victorious speech in Iowa following a significant win in the first Republican contest for the presidential nomination.
The civil trial focuses on Trump’s denials when Carroll first accused him of rape in a New York magazine piece over three years ago. Trump vehemently dismissed her claims as “totally false” and alleged that he had never heard of Carroll, suggesting she fabricated the story to promote her memoir.
This case is distinct from a previous civil trial in May, where a New York jury found Trump sexually abused Carroll. However, he was not held liable for raping her in the Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s. The jury did find Trump liable for defamation, citing his characterization of Carroll’s accusations as “a hoax and a lie.”
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In September, Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that this second civil defamation trial against Trump would be focused on determining damages. The judge issued a stern warning to the former president about his remarks in court, prohibiting any testimony or evidence suggesting or implying that he did not sexually assault Carroll, that she fabricated her account, or that she had any motive to do so.
Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan (unrelated to the judge), anticipates Trump attempting to “sow chaos” with his testimony. She has requested that Trump state under oath his understanding of the trial’s limits. In response, Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, assured that the former president is “well aware” of the court’s ruling and “the strict confines placed on his testimony.”
In addition to these legal challenges, Trump faces state and federal charges related to alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and handling classified documents, adding another layer of complexity to the legal landscape surrounding the former president.