Donald Trump Ordered To Pay $83 Million To E Jean Carrol in Defamation Case

In another legal crack at former President Donald Trump, a federal court has ordered him to pay $83 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll. Carroll had accused Trump of rape in the 1990s. The breakup of the fines includes $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages.

Two Trials, Two Verdicts

As the jury, which included Federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, declared its verdict, it also marked a significant milestone in the ongoing legal wrangling of the former President. Trump was also ordered to pay $5 million in an earlier trial in which he was let off the hook for rape charges but was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

E. Jean Carroll, a journalist, was awarded $83.3 million by a New York court in the defamation case against former US President Donald Trump. The latest decision comes after nine months when a Manhattan federal court jury awarded Carroll $5m in another defamation and sexual assault case against Trump. Readers may be confused as to why two awards for compensation were given for the same case. Read on to find the legal intricacies surrounding both cases.

The genesis of this case dates back to 2019 when E. Jean Carroll, a journalist, charged Donald Trump with rape in her book, ‘What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal.’ The New York magazine had published excerpts from the book, and Trump rejected the charge that he had sexually assaulted Carroll in a high-end departmental store dressing room. He even labeled Carroll as a dishonest political operative.

Carroll sued Donald Trump for defamation, but the statute of limitations barred her from suing over the assault. However, a New York law in 2022 granted a one-year window to sue abusers beyond the purview of the statute of limitations. This allowed Carroll to file another defamation case as well as for assault, particularly focusing on the defamatory statements made by Trump. The case went to trial in April 2023, and the jury ruled that Trump had sexually abused and defamed Carroll. These findings became the basis for the second trial, and the jurors had only to decide on the damages.

Donald Trump and E Jean Carrol Defamation Case: Justice Served or Political Maneuvering?

Carroll, akin to her testimony in the first trial, said that Donald Trump’s denials and his threats had devastated her journalism career. Carroll testified that she is here because Trump had assaulted her and his subsequent denials and labeling her as dishonest ruined her journalism career.

Carroll also detailed the threats she received from Trump, which included, ‘I hope you die soon… I hope someone really rapes you… rape Jean, rape Jean’. Carroll added that she had to buy bullets for a gun that she inherited from her father for her protection.

On the other hand, Donald Trump’s lawyers, including the lead attorney on this case, Alina Habba, tried to discredit Carroll, quoting her tweets which Alina described as sexually explicit. Trump repeatedly went ballistic and accused Carroll of being part of a witch hunt and labeled the whole proceedings as a con job.Post the verdict, Carroll said that justice had been delivered, and it is a victory for her and all the women who powerful men abused. The judgment hammered home the point that powerful men cannot go scot-free for their misdemeanors. Donald Trump, on his part, once again said that it was part of the Biden-led team to prevent him from standing for the Presidential post. Describing the accusations and the judgment as ridiculous, Trump’s legal team said that it will appeal against the judgment.

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