The defamation trial involving Donald Trump entered the deliberation phase as the jury began considering the evidence after closing arguments.
Trump abruptly exited the courtroom following statements from E. Jean Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, asserting that Trump had not respected the previous trial’s verdict.
Kaplan referred to a trial in 2022 where a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the 1990s and defaming her in the same year.
The current trial revolves around Trump’s comments in 2019, while he was president, responding to Carroll’s public accusation of rape.
Donald Trump (Credits: The New York Times)
During the trial, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan noted Trump’s departure from the courtroom and interrupted Roberta Kaplan’s arguments, stating, “The record will reflect that Donald Trump just rose and walked out of the courtroom.”
The judge also admonished Trump’s legal adviser, Boris Epshteyn, for standing up, emphasizing that defense counsel should remain seated.
Before the trial began, the judge ruled that Trump had defamed Carroll in 2019 by denying he had ever met her and suggesting her book should be placed in the fiction section. The primary question for the jury is to determine the amount of damages Trump should pay.
Roberta Kaplan urged the nine jurors to award at least $24 million in compensatory damages and highlighted the need for a high punitive damages award to have any impact on Trump, given his substantial wealth. She emphasized that while Trump may disregard the law and truth, he cares about money.
Trump returned to the courtroom to hear his lawyer, Alina Habba, deliver closing arguments. Habba suggested that Carroll welcomed the attention after making her accusations public and contended that Carroll’s claims, not Trump’s responses, led to threatening messages on social media.
Habba repeatedly argued that Trump had defended himself appropriately by responding to Carroll’s allegations.
However, Judge Kaplan intervened, reminding the jury that, according to established law, Trump sexually assaulted Carroll, and his statements were defamatory. The judge emphasized these points multiple times during the closing arguments.
The jury will now deliberate on the evidence presented during the trial and decide the amount of damages, with Roberta Kaplan seeking substantial compensation for Carroll.
The trial marks another chapter in the legal challenges faced by Donald Trump, and the verdict will have implications for the ongoing legal battles surrounding his actions during his presidency.
