OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.
In a significant legal development, a federal judge has delivered a blow to former President Donald Trump, ruling him accountable for defamation in a second lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll.
This ruling has emerged as the prelude to a scheduled civil trial set for January 15, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, presiding in Manhattan, has determined that the essence of Carroll’s ongoing defamation claims closely parallels those that a previous jury had already deemed defamatory earlier this year.
BREAKING: Federal judge rules Trump liable in second E. Jean Carroll defamation case. Now, jury will only need to decide how much money Donald Trump will have to pay her. As expected, this is the headline on virtually all left-leaning outlets. Your reaction. pic.twitter.com/penqRcb1cy
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) September 6, 2023
Back in May, a jury found Trump responsible for sexually abusing Carroll in the 1990s and subsequently tarnishing her reputation by dismissing her allegations as a “con job.” In consequence, the jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages—a verdict that Trump is presently challenging in an appeal before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judge Kaplan, in a comprehensive 25-page court document, also rejected Trump’s contention that the prior verdict should have a bearing on the potential damages, as Carroll should not be entitled to duplicate compensation.
Trump’s legal counsel, Alina Habba, expressed unwavering confidence in their appeal’s prospects, stating, “We firmly believe that the Carroll II verdict will be overturned on appeal, thereby rendering this ruling moot.”
A judge appointed by Clinton just ruled that Trump is on the hook for those defamatory comments he made about E. Jean Carroll.
Judge Lewis Kaplan basically said that the upcoming trial for Carroll's lawsuit against Trump will only focus on how much moolah the former president… pic.twitter.com/HLcicWha43
— Jewels Jones (@JewelsJonesLive) September 6, 2023
The judge made it clear that “The truth or falsity of Mr. Trump’s 2019 statements hinges on whether Ms. Carroll lied about Mr. Trump sexually assaulting her, much like the veracity of his 2022 statement. The jury’s determination that she did not lie holds sway in this case and prevents Mr. Trump from disputing the falsehood of his 2019 statements.”
Carroll is actively pursuing an additional $10 million in damages in response to Trump’s denial of having sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan during the mid-1990s.
The legal tussle between Carroll and Trump originated in 2019 when Carroll, a renowned journalist and writer, accused Trump of sexual assault dating back to the mid-1990s. In his counterclaims, Trump denied the allegations, branding Carroll a mendacious accuser and asserting he had never encountered her.
This latest judicial pronouncement further complicates Trump’s legal predicament, as he faces four separate federal and state criminal indictments. In the face of these legal challenges, Trump remains a formidable figure in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
The impending trial, scheduled for January 2024, will exclusively focus on the issue of damages.