A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a jury’s finding in a civil case that Donald Trump sexually abused a columnist in an upscale department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a written opinion upholding the $5 million award that the Manhattan jury granted to E. Jean Carroll for defamation and sexual abuse.
The longtime magazine columnist had testified at a 2023 trial that Trump turned a friendly encounter in Spring 1996 into a violent attack after they playfully entered the store’s dressing room.
Trump skipped the trial after repeatedly denying the attack ever happened. But he briefly testified at a follow-up defamation trial earlier this year that resulted in an $83.3 million award. The second trial resulted from comments then-President Trump made in 2019 after Carroll first made the accusations publicly in a memoir.
In its ruling, a three-Judge panel of the appeals court rejected claims by Trump’s lawyers that trial Judge Lewis A. Kaplan had made multiple decisions that spoiled the trial, including his decision to allow two other women who had accused Trump of sexually abusing them to testify.
The Judge also had allowed the jury to view the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump boasted in 2005 about grabbing women’s genitals because when someone is a star, “you can do anything.”
“We conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings,” the 2nd Circuit said. “Further, he has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial.”
In September, both Carroll, 81, and Trump, 78, attended oral arguments by the 2nd Circuit.
Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesperson, said in a statement that Trump was elected by voters who delivered “an overwhelming mandate, and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed.”
Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer who represented Carroll during the trial and is not related to the Judge, said in a statement: “Both E. Jean Carroll and I are gratified by today’s decision. We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments.”
The first jury found in May 2023 that Trump sexually abused Carroll and defamed her with comments he made in October 2022. That jury awarded Carroll $5 million.
In January, a second jury awarded Carroll an additional $83.3 million in damages for comments Trump had made about her while he was President, finding that they were defamatory. That jury had been instructed by the Judge to accept the first jury’s finding that Trump had sexually abused Carroll.
Trump testified for under three minutes at the second trial and was not permitted to challenge conclusions reached by the May 2023 jury. Still, he was animated in the courtroom throughout the two-week trial, and jurors could hear him grumbling about the case.
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
8 comments
PeterH
December 30, 2024 at 11:41 am
Steven Cheung called the jury’s decision against Trump a hoax. I believe Ms. Carroll’s lawyers should sue Cheung for five million for character defamation.
Hung Wiil
December 31, 2024 at 8:09 pm
Bundlerooski.
Paul Passarelli
December 30, 2024 at 2:08 pm
Let me get this straight:
) She makes up a lie that is impossible to disprove.
) He calls her out for lying.
) She claims defamation.
) Court system issues an insane ruling.
) He complains.
) She gets a second award.
Seems legit… NOT!
MarvinM
December 31, 2024 at 11:38 pm
You do not have it in any way straight, or correct.
A jury considered arguments and evidence and determined that Trump did indeed violate E. J. Carroll (i.e., she did not lie), and then when he kept trashing her and defaming her, well, she used her legal rights to go after him for that. And again, a JURY agreed.
But of course, Trump appeals to a higher court, all he ever does is appeal appeal, delay delay court cases, expecting that the other side will cave because they can’t afford any more legal fees. A little thing he learned from Roy Cohn (google him, if you haven’t already).
That is not justice, that’s a privileged person manipulating the system to his benefit.
I’d go on, but I’ve gotta get the champagne uncorked. Happy New Year.
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Idk
January 7, 2025 at 1:16 pm
Some people like to get in the way of business.
Idk
January 11, 2025 at 12:09 pm
Any way the first convicted president is now approaching..who will be the next one in line for the throne.
Condy
January 11, 2025 at 11:33 am
Seriously they talk no abortion..and become a housewife where you lack money
What’s wrong with this picture show
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