A federal judge has rejected Donald Trump’s bid for a new trial in the civil case filed by E. Jean Carroll. The case involved allegations of sexual abuse and defamation, resulting in a jury holding the former U.S. president liable and awarding the writer $5 million in damages.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan, in a detailed 59-page decision, stated that the jury’s verdict on May 9 was not a “miscarriage of justice” and did not produce a “seriously erroneous result.” The jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her. The damages awarded included $2 million for sexual assault and an additional amount for defamation.
E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. Trump, however, claimed the incident was a hoax and made this statement on his Truth Social platform in October 2022. Trump argued that the $2 million awarded for sexual assault was “excessive” since the jury did not find him guilty of rape, and the defamation award was based on “pure speculation.”
Despite Trump’s arguments, the judge’s decision stands, denying his request for a new trial in the E. Jean Carroll case. This ruling reaffirms the jury’s verdict and upholds the damages awarded to Carroll for the sexual abuse and defamation she experienced.
