Trump Defamation Trial by Sophie Kuipers
On Tuesday of this week, a federal court announced that E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump has been delayed another day, now scheduled to resume on Thursday, January 25. This week, after a juror fell ill, the case was suspended. However, if the trial resumes as planned on Thursday, former President Donald Trump will likely testify.
Carroll, the plaintiff in this case, is seeking at least ten million dollars in damages from Trump. This is due to the fact that Trump denied her accusations that she was sexually assaulted by Trump in the 90s. In a previous case, the jury found Trump liable for sexual battery. So, this current trial is meant to determine how much Trump must pay in damages. Last year, a different jury decided that Trump sexually abused Carroll in 1996 in addition to making defamatory comments in 2022, which resulted in her being awarded 5 million dollars. Trump has appealed this verdict, and the claims have been split into two suits, one of them being the second trial currently taking place.
How does this trial come into play with Trump’s current campaign for this year’s presidential election? According to the AP News, a claim was made that the judge presiding over the trial initially delaying proceedings until Tuesday on Monday was proof of election interference. However, the AP News found that it was due to a juror's illness, as mentioned, and that court would be scheduled to continue Wednesday, the 24th (however, as mentioned, the trial has been rescheduled yet again to Thursday, the 25th).
Carroll, the plaintiff in this case, is seeking at least ten million dollars in damages from Trump. This is due to the fact that Trump denied her accusations that she was sexually assaulted by Trump in the 90s. In a previous case, the jury found Trump liable for sexual battery. So, this current trial is meant to determine how much Trump must pay in damages. Last year, a different jury decided that Trump sexually abused Carroll in 1996 in addition to making defamatory comments in 2022, which resulted in her being awarded 5 million dollars. Trump has appealed this verdict, and the claims have been split into two suits, one of them being the second trial currently taking place.
How does this trial come into play with Trump’s current campaign for this year’s presidential election? According to the AP News, a claim was made that the judge presiding over the trial initially delaying proceedings until Tuesday on Monday was proof of election interference. However, the AP News found that it was due to a juror's illness, as mentioned, and that court would be scheduled to continue Wednesday, the 24th (however, as mentioned, the trial has been rescheduled yet again to Thursday, the 25th).