NEW YORK (AP), A judge has delineated strict parameters for what former President Donald Trump and his legal representatives are permitted to present to a jury during the impending defamation trial filed by writer E. Jean Carroll.
Carroll, recognized as an author and advice columnist, has instigated two defamation lawsuits against the ex-president, originating from Trump’s repudiation of her rape accusations dating back to an encounter in mid-1990s New York City.
In a report released by Newsweek on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, a prior jury ruling favored Carroll. It concluded that although Trump hadn’t committed rape, he was held liable for defamation, leading to a $5 million damages decision.
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This ruling was associated with the second defamation case, focusing on remarks made by Trump in 2022.
The initial case, revolving around comments from 2019 during his presidency, is now slated for a damages trial on January 16. This follows a ruling by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who established Trump’s defamation liability based on his earlier statements.
Additionally, Kaplan has previously determined that Trump’s accountability from the preceding judgment would carry over to the new trial, significantly restricting the assertions that Trump and his legal team can present before a jury.
The specifics of these limitations were detailed in a recent directive issued by Kaplan, outlining what Trump and his legal representatives are prohibited from asserting during the trial.
These constraints encompass Trump and his team being barred from declaring Carroll’s sexual abuse claims as false, scrutinizing Carroll’s lawyers or their extrajudicial activities, highlighting the financial backing supporting her legal pursuits, making assertions regarding DNA evidence, or spotlighting Carroll’s personal history involving romantic relationships, sexual inclinations, or past experiences.
Trump’s legal faction has persistently sought to underscore the financial support received by Carroll and her legal team, notably from billionaire Reid Hoffman, a co-founder of LinkedIn and a significant Democratic Party contributor.
Allegations have been made by Trump’s team, suggesting that these lawsuits are politically motivated. Similar contentions regarding the political leanings of Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, were previously prohibited by Judge Kaplan from being presented to the jury in the initial case, deeming them irrelevant to Carroll’s substantial claims.
At the core of Carroll’s 2019 lawsuit lies Trump’s dismissal of her allegations as fabricated to boost her book sales and his accusations of her being a Democratic Party operative.
The recent order by the judge marks a pivotal development in the ongoing legal feud, establishing stringent boundaries on the arguments permissible for Trump’s legal team in the forthcoming defamation trial linked to Carroll’s allegations against him.
