In a significant legal development, a United States jury in a Manhattan federal court has reached a verdict in the case of writer E Jean Carroll’s allegations against former President Donald Trump. Carroll accused Trump of sexually abusing her in the 1990s and defaming her by calling her a liar. The jury deliberated for seven days before announcing their decision on Tuesday afternoon.
While the jury did not find Trump guilty of rape, they did hold him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, as reported by reputable news outlets such as The New York Times and CNN. The jury awarded Carroll, a former columnist for Elle magazine, approximately $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. However, it’s important to note that since this was a civil trial, Trump will not face criminal consequences.
Trump’s spokesman, Steven Cheung, stated that the former president intends to appeal the verdict. This means that Trump won’t be required to pay the awarded damages while the case is being challenged in court.
As the verdict was announced, Carroll held hands with her lawyers and left the courthouse with a smile, accompanied by her attorney Roberta Kaplan. In a written statement, Carroll expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, emphasizing that the victory was not just for herself but for all women who have endured disbelief after suffering abuse.
Although Trump did not attend the trial, he promptly responded with a statement on his social media platform, reiterating that he does not know Carroll and denouncing the verdict as a “disgrace” and a continuation of what he refers to as “the greatest witch hunt of all time.”
Former US prosecutor Diana Florence remarked that appeals are common in civil lawsuits but did not believe Trump’s legal team would be successful in changing the outcome. She stated that there were no glaring issues during the trial that would support Trump’s potential victory. Florence indicated that the verdict is very likely to be upheld.
Throughout the trial, Trump’s legal team opted not to present a defense, instead hoping that the jurors would find Carroll’s case unpersuasive. Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, argued during closing arguments that Carroll’s claims were false and motivated by monetary gain, status, and political reasons, calling her actions an affront to justice.
In contrast, Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, highlighted the 2005 Access Hollywood video in which Trump boasted about grabbing women by their genitals, asserting that it supported Carroll’s and other women’s accounts of sexual assault by Trump. Kaplan argued that Trump’s own words on video aligned with the very actions being discussed in the courtroom.
The impact of this verdict on Trump’s political aspirations, particularly his potential re-election bid in 2024, remains uncertain. Despite the verdict, Trump continues to be viewed as an early frontrunner for the Republican nomination. Charlie Gerow, a GOP strategist in Pennsylvania, suggested that the verdict may not sway anti-Trump or pro-Trump voters, and those who are undecided might not be significantly influenced by this development, according to Reuters.
It is worth noting that Trump faces various other legal challenges, including criminal charges in New York related to a hush-money payment made to a porn star in 2016 and an ongoing investigation by the Justice Department regarding allegations of mishandling classified documents.
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