By NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump may testify in a civil trial scheduled for mid-January. The trial will determine the amount he owes to columnist E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexually abusing her three decades ago in a Manhattan luxury department store.
In a filing submitted to Manhattan federal court, Trump’s lawyers, Alina Habba and Michael Madaio, requested that the deposition transcript from Trump’s October 2022 testimony not be presented to the jury. They stated that Trump has been named as a witness and intends to testify during the trial.
80-year-old E. Jean Carroll, who plans to testify at the trial beginning on January 16, will highlight the impact on her life and the threats she has faced since Trump denied knowing her and dismissed her accusations as false.
During a previous trial in May, Carroll testified that her initial encounter with Trump appeared to be lighthearted and enjoyable as they searched for a gift in the lingerie section of Bergdorf Goodman, which is situated across the street from Trump Tower. However, she claimed that the situation turned violent in the dressing room after they playfully dared each other to try on a piece of lingerie.
Carroll alleged that Trump pushed her against a wall and raped her. The jury did not find the rape claim credible but did rule in favor of sexual abuse. They awarded $5 million for sexual abuse and defamation related to comments made by Trump in the fall of 2022.
Stay tuned for updates on this noteworthy trial.
Defamation Claim Against Trump to Proceed to January Trial
The defamation claim against former President Donald Trump will finally proceed to trial in January. This claim originated after Trump publicly denounced allegations made by writer E. Jean Carroll in her memoir, which was published in 2019. Despite numerous appeals causing significant delays, the lawsuit is now moving forward. Furthermore, additional claims have been added to the lawsuit, asserting that Trump defamed Carroll once again with subsequent public remarks following the first trial.
Earlier this year, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan ruled that the previous defamation verdict necessitates a trial solely for determining the damages. The upcoming trial is expected to last approximately one week and will involve a new jury selected specifically for this purpose. To ensure impartiality, Kaplan has ordered that the jurors remain anonymous. This decision was influenced by Trump’s repeated public statements concerning Carroll and various courts.
While Trump had initially suggested attending the last trial before Kaplan, he ultimately did not appear. However, in recent months, he has testified in a civil trial in New York state court regarding allegations that his company, responsible for overseeing his various properties, fraudulently manipulated asset values to obtain loans. Additionally, Trump has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in four separate indictments. These charges include claims of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, involvement in a classified-documents case, and arranging a payoff to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to maintain her silence prior to the 2016 presidential election.
A request to postpone the January trial due to pending matters before the appeals court, such as determining if Trump is protected by absolute immunity for statements made during his presidency, was denied by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Thursday.
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