Topline
Former President Donald Trump has requested a new trial with writer E. Jean Carroll, claiming the $2 million he was ordered to pay her for sexual abuse was “grossly excessive” because the jury ruled the incident between the two in a department store dressing room was sexual abuse, not rape.
Writer E. Jean Carroll won $5 million from Trump for sexual abuse and defamation damages.
Key Facts
Trump’s claim, filed by his lawyer Joe Tacopina in a Manhattan court Thursday, asks for a re-trial of the civil case brought by Carroll, who won $5 million in damages in May for sexual abuse and defamation related to an incident in the mid-1990s.
Although Carroll said Trump raped her in a department store dressing room, the jury found that she was sexually abused, which Trump said in his latest filing “could have included groping [her] breasts through clothing,” which is “a far cry from rape.”
The filing claims Trump did not cause Carroll “diagnosed mental injury” because she said during the trial she was “a happy person” and did not suffer from mental illnesses like PTSD or depression.
He also argued the $3 million defamation charges, which he was given for a Truth Social post denying her allegations, are “based on pure speculation” about how much of an impact it had on the public.
Key Background
The two-week trial wrapped up in early May, and included graphic testimony from Carroll, who described being pushed into a dressing room, where Trump “inserted his penis” into her. Trump did not appear in court, but the jury was shown his deposition, in which he doubled down on his comments about grabbing women that he made in an old Access Hollywood video. The jury ruled the assault was sexual abuse—not rape—for which Trump was ordered to pay $2 million, in addition to $3 million for defamation. Three days after the verdict, Trump filed to appeal. He also said during a CNN town hall following the trial that it was “a rigged deal” and Carroll is a “wack job” with a “made-up story.”
Further Reading
Trump Sexually Abused E. Jean Carroll And Owes $5 Million In Damages, Jury Finds (Forbes)
E. Jean Carroll Testifies: ‘Donald Trump Raped Me’ (Forbes)
E. Jean Carroll’s Case Against Trump Explained (Forbes)
E. Jean Carroll Reportedly Considers Suing Trump Again For Calling Assault Claim ‘Made-Up’—Just Days After Jury Verdict (Forbes)
Trump Appeals E. Jean Carroll Sexual Abuse Verdict (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinehamilton/2023/06/08/trump-requests-new-trial-in-e-jean-carroll-sexual-abuse-case-calling-damages-excessive/