A New York federal judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s bid for a new trial, upholding a substantial $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed Trump’s lawyers’ requests for a new trial and a judgment as a matter of law, finding no merit in the arguments presented by the defense. In a detailed rejection, Kaplan wrote, “Contrary to the defendant’s arguments, Ms. Carroll’s compensatory damages were not awarded solely for her emotional distress; they were not for garden variety harms; and they were not excessive.” He underscored the severity of Trump’s “malicious and unceasing attacks” on Carroll, which were disseminated to an audience exceeding 100 million people and included public threats and personal attacks that “endangered Ms. Carroll’s health and safety.”
The ruling comes as a result of a defamation lawsuit filed by Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, who alleged that Trump sexually abused her in the dressing room of a New York department store in the 1990s. Carroll later accused Trump of defaming her when he publicly denied her allegations in 2019, labeling her claims a “Hoax and a lie” and stating, “This woman is not my type!” Trump has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing, at one point claiming he had not even heard of Carroll.
At the end of a five-day trial in February, Trump was ordered to pay $83.3 million to Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist. Carroll was awarded $17.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages.
Carroll’s attorney, Robbie Kaplan, expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling, stating, “We are pleased with though not surprised by the Court’s decision today denying Donald Trump’s motions for a new trial and judgment as a matter of law.” She emphasized the reasonableness of the jury’s award given Trump’s continued defamation of Carroll during the trial and noted his courtroom conduct, where his “hatred and disdain [were] on full display.”
Judge Kaplan, in his ruling, decisively repudiated each of Trump’s claims, concluding that the argument “which Mr. Trump previously made to the jury, conspicuously without success, and which defies common sense — does not warrant dismissal as a matter of law.”
Relevant articles:
– Judge upholds $83m E Jean Carroll defamation verdict against Trump, theguardian.com, 04/26/2024
– Federal judge rejects Donald Trump’s bid for new E. Jean Carroll defamation trial, upholds $83M judgment, ABC News, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:33:45 GMT
– Judge Rejects Trump’s Effort To Toss Out $83 Million Payout To E. Jean Carroll, Yahoo News Canada, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:58:50 GMT
– Judge upholds $83M E. Jean Carroll defamation award against Donald Trump, Yahoo News Canada, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:10:35 GMT
– Trump denied new E. Jean Carroll trial in $83.3 million defamation case, Yahoo News Canada, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:10:41 GMT