(Scypre.com) – In a landmark decision, a federal jury has ruled that Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, must compensate E. Jean Carroll, a past writer for Elle magazine, with over $83 million for making defamatory remarks about her. This verdict represents a significant legal setback for Trump, who is actively seeking a return to the Oval Office.
During the trial, the nine-person jury decided to award Carroll $65 million in punitive damages and an additional sum exceeding $18 million for compensatory damages. This decision came after Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and subsequently denigrated Carroll’s allegations of sexual assault as fabrications, leading to a barrage of abusive messages and death threats against her.
The verdict was reached after about three hours of deliberation, concluding a contentious two-week civil trial in a Manhattan federal court. Throughout the trial, Trump’s legal team vehemently contested Carroll’s accusations, while Trump himself continued to assail and potentially defame her through press conferences and multiple posts on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Significantly, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan prohibited Trump and his attorneys from contesting the established facts of the case: that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s and subsequently defamed her by denying the assault.
These facts were established in a previous trial, where a jury held Trump accountable for sexual abuse and defamation, resulting in a $5 million award to Carroll. However, Trump persisted in repeating potentially defamatory statements against Carroll, even as the verdict was being announced.
During the reading of the verdict, an emotional scene unfolded as Carroll, holding hands with her attorney Shawn Crowley, smiled at the jury. Post-verdict, Carroll, Crowley, and another attorney, Roberta Kaplan, were visibly moved, sharing hugs and tears.
Trump, on the other hand, was not present during these moments, having left the courthouse earlier. His attorney, Alina Habba, expressed her dissatisfaction with the jury’s decision and announced plans to appeal, insisting on continuing to fight alongside Trump for what she termed as everyone’s First Amendment rights and the right to defend oneself against wrongful accusations.
In an interesting turn of events, Trump had earlier stormed out of the courtroom during Kaplan’s closing arguments. Kaplan had emphasized to the jury that the initial verdict had not deterred Trump from continuing his potentially defamatory statements.
Trump, a leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has consistently portrayed Carroll as dishonest, even referring to her as a “whack job” and denying any acquaintance with her. These assertions continued unabated, even on his way to the courthouse for the defamation trial.
In his defense, Trump has framed himself as a victim of a politically motivated campaign, alleging that the justice system is being exploited against him. This stance was reiterated in a video he posted on Truth Social, where he dismissed the allegations as a political witch hunt.
Throughout the trial, Trump and Habba faced criticism from the judge for their courtroom conduct and attempts to introduce inappropriate evidence. Trump’s brief testimony, in which he stood by his previous statements, did little to sway the jury’s decision.
The verdict is a significant addition to Trump’s growing list of legal challenges. These include 91 criminal charges from various federal and state-level investigations and a potentially severe lawsuit threatening his New York-based business empire and real estate holdings. A New York judge is expected to rule soon on a civil trial against the Trump Organization, which could result in fines totaling $370 million, stemming from allegations of long-term fraud involving Trump, his adult sons, and key associates.