A jury has recently granted $83.3 million in additional damages to advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. She claimed that Donald Trump had tarnished her reputation by labeling her as a dishonest person after she made allegations of sexual assault against him. The verdict was announced by a jury consisting of seven men and two women, following approximately three hours of deliberation.
In a previous case, a jury in May determined that Trump was responsible for sexually assaulting Carroll in 1996 and was instructed to pay $5 million, according to the AP. The focus of this defamation trial revolved around the statements made by Trump during his presidency regarding Carroll. Upon hearing the verdict on Friday afternoon, Carroll expressed her joy by smiling and embracing her attorneys, according to the New York Times. At that point, Trump had departed the premises in his motorcade.
The jury reached a conclusion that Trump's statements about Carroll were made with malicious intent, resulting in a punitive damages award of $65 million and compensatory damages of $18.3 million. During the trial, Carroll's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, requested that the jury grant $24 million in compensatory damages, along with a substantial amount in punitive damages. According to Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, Trump maintained the veracity of his statements while countering her allegations. According to the AP, she stated that her connection with Trump had brought her the attention she desired, and she argued that any death threats she received should not be attributed to Trump's comments.
Trump has stated his intention to appeal. "Absolutely absurd!" he exclaimed in a Truth Social post, expressing his disbelief at the verdict. "The current state of our Legal System is concerning, as it appears to be influenced by political motivations." According to the Washington Post, Judge Lewis Kaplan, who had previously taken measures to protect the jurors' identities, has now informed them that they are no longer bound by any restrictions on speaking publicly about the case. However, he does not explicitly encourage them to do so. "I strongly recommend that you keep your jury service confidential, and I will not provide any further details," he stated. According to CNN, when the judge received the verdict sheet, he examined it and inquired the foreperson for clarification on the meaning of the letter 'M'. The answer was "million."
In a previous case, a jury in May determined that Trump was responsible for sexually assaulting Carroll in 1996 and was instructed to pay $5 million, according to the AP. The focus of this defamation trial revolved around the statements made by Trump during his presidency regarding Carroll. Upon hearing the verdict on Friday afternoon, Carroll expressed her joy by smiling and embracing her attorneys, according to the New York Times. At that point, Trump had departed the premises in his motorcade.
The jury reached a conclusion that Trump's statements about Carroll were made with malicious intent, resulting in a punitive damages award of $65 million and compensatory damages of $18.3 million. During the trial, Carroll's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, requested that the jury grant $24 million in compensatory damages, along with a substantial amount in punitive damages. According to Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, Trump maintained the veracity of his statements while countering her allegations. According to the AP, she stated that her connection with Trump had brought her the attention she desired, and she argued that any death threats she received should not be attributed to Trump's comments.
Trump has stated his intention to appeal. "Absolutely absurd!" he exclaimed in a Truth Social post, expressing his disbelief at the verdict. "The current state of our Legal System is concerning, as it appears to be influenced by political motivations." According to the Washington Post, Judge Lewis Kaplan, who had previously taken measures to protect the jurors' identities, has now informed them that they are no longer bound by any restrictions on speaking publicly about the case. However, he does not explicitly encourage them to do so. "I strongly recommend that you keep your jury service confidential, and I will not provide any further details," he stated. According to CNN, when the judge received the verdict sheet, he examined it and inquired the foreperson for clarification on the meaning of the letter 'M'. The answer was "million."
