In a significant ruling, a federal judge has turned down Donald Trump’s plea for a fresh trial concerning damages awarded to E. Jean Carroll after a jury found the former U.S. president liable for sexual abuse and defamation, leading to a $5 million compensation for the writer.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, in a comprehensive 59-page decision, firmly dismissed Trump’s arguments seeking a reduction in damages to less than $1 million. The judge declared that the verdict delivered on May 9th was not a “seriously erroneous result” and did not represent a “miscarriage of justice.”
E. Jean Carroll, aged 79, had accused Trump, aged 77, of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store dressing room during the mid-1990s. Moreover, Trump further exacerbated the situation by branding the incident as a hoax on his Truth Social platform in October 2022.
Trump, however, is not giving up without a fight and is currently appealing the verdict. Although his lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment, it is evident that they are determined to contest the ruling. On the other hand, Carroll’s lawyers have yet to provide their immediate response to similar requests.
In his attempt to reduce the damages awarded to Carroll, Trump argued that the $2 million allocated for sexual abuse was “grossly excessive.” He suggested that the alleged abuse may have merely involved groping Carroll’s breasts through her clothing, downplaying the severity of the offense and distancing it from rape.
Nevertheless, the judge emphasized that the state of New York’s penal law defines rape far more narrowly than the general public perceives it. Consequently, Trump’s insistence that the law excused him for his actions was proven erroneous. Judge Kaplan clarified that the evidence presented during the trial convincingly demonstrated that Trump had deliberately and forcibly penetrated Carroll’s vagina with his fingers, causing her immediate pain and inflicting long-lasting emotional and psychological harm.
In response to Trump’s contention, the judge highlighted that the jury’s verdict implicitly validated that Trump was indeed guilty of the offense and rejected any misinterpretations put forth by the former president. The evidence presented during the trial overwhelmingly supported Carroll’s account of the incident, leaving no room for doubt.
Furthermore, Judge Kaplan upheld the justification for awarding Carroll $3 million for defamation, dismissing Trump’s claim that the amount was based on mere speculation regarding the harm inflicted upon Carroll’s reputation. The evidence presented during the proceedings firmly established that Trump’s branding of the incident as a hoax had a profound negative impact on Carroll’s public standing, justifying the compensation awarded.
In light of this ruling, Donald Trump’s legal battle is far from over. While the rejection of his bid for a new trial represents a significant setback, his appeal against the verdict remains pending. As the legal proceedings continue, the public eagerly awaits further developments on this closely watched case.
(Reporting by BLB (best loan bank) in New York; Editing by bestlonabank ).
News Source: REUTERS
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