A federal judge has upheld the verdict and award in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against former President Donald Trump, denying Trump’s motion for a new trial.
Judge Lewis Kaplan stated that Trump’s legal arguments lacked merit and deemed the punitive damages awarded to Carroll as constitutional.
Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, noting that the jury’s substantial damages were justified given Trump’s ongoing defamation during the trial and his behavior in court.
Carroll, a former magazine columnist, accused Trump of raping her in a department store in the mid-1990s and defaming her when he denied the allegation. Trump was previously found liable for the sexual assault in a separate case.
In response to Trump’s legal team arguing that the defamation damages were excessive, Judge Kaplan emphasized the harm caused by Trump’s public attacks on Carroll, which reached millions of people and jeopardized her well-being.
Trump has consistently denied assaulting Carroll, stating in 2019 that she was not his “type,” which led to the defamation lawsuit against him.
During the trial, Trump’s courtroom behavior, including making comments during Carroll’s testimony and abruptly leaving during closing arguments, drew criticism from the judge.
The judgment underscores accountability by a jury of citizens in contrast to Trump’s claims of mistreatment by politicians or appointees.
Meanwhile, Trump faces another legal battle in a criminal courtroom, awaiting a jury’s decision on charges related to alleged falsification of business records.
