Trump ordered to pay $83.3M in Defamation case Brought by Jean Carroll

Trump ordered to pay $83.3M in Defamation case Brought by Jean Carroll

A New York jury has determined that Donald Trump is liable to pay $83.3 million (£65 million) as a result of defaming journalist, author, and advice columnist E Jean Carroll in 2019 during his tenure as the President of the United States.

The punishment imposed in the civil trial consists of $18.3 million for compensatory damages and an additional $65 million for punitive penalties.

In a prior legal lawsuit, Mr. Trump was determined to have committed defamation against Ms. Carroll and engaged in sexual abuse against her throughout the 1990s.

He pledged to challenge the most recent decision, denouncing the case as a malicious investigation and labelling the judgement as "utterly preposterous!"

In the recent trial, the jury's only responsibility was to determine the amount of compensation, if any, that should be granted to MS. Carroll.

The purpose of compensatory damages is to address the detrimental impact that the jury determined his remarks had on her reputation and emotional state.  Trump has a dilemma with the consequences of defamation. The panel also had to devise a severe sanction aimed at deterring Mr. Trump from further expressing his opposition towards her.

The jury, consisting of seven men and two women, deliberated for less than three hours before reaching a judgement on Friday afternoon.

Mr. Trump, the probable Republican nominee in the next presidential election in November, is also confronted with four criminal cases, including a total of 91 felony charges.

He is the first president in the annals of US history to face criminal charges, however, he has entered a plea of not guilty and refuted all allegations.

"The jury's decision on Friday is a significant triumph for women who demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity and a major setback for individuals who attempt to oppress women," said Ms. Carroll.

In a statement, Robbie Kaplan, the attorney representing her, emphasised that the recent decision demonstrates the universal application of the law in our nation, including individuals from all walks of life, including the affluent, the renowned, and even past presidents.

Mr. Trump has always refuted any allegations of misconduct and has even denied ever seeing Ms. Carroll, even as recently as Friday morning.

However, after the judgement, he chose not to directly criticise her when he strongly criticised the result of the case in a post on his social media network.

"I strongly dissent from both rulings," he said, "and intend to challenge this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt, which specifically targets me and the Republican Party. Our Legal System is excessively unrestrained and used as a Political Weapon. All First Amendment Rights have been revoked. This is not the United States of America!

In a civil trial conducted last year, it was determined that Mr. Trump committed a sexual assault on Ms. Carroll, a writer for a magazine. The incident took place in a changing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store during the 1990s.

In addition, the jury determined his liability for defamation due to his assertion that her claims were false, resulting in a verdict that he must compensate her with around $5 million in damages.

The recently concluded litigation centred upon several disparaging remarks made by Mr. Trump in 2019.

Mr Trump, who suddenly departed from the court earlier in the day accompanied by his Secret Service protection detail, was absent throughout the announcement of the decision.

Immediately after Judge Kaplan's warning to silence, Mr. Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, was promptly removed.

"You are close to being incarcerated." "Please take a seat," he instructed Ms. Habba. Who is the trial attorney representing Trump, Alina Habba?

Before this incident, the judge had issued a warning to Mr. Trump, expressing the possibility of removing him from the court proceedings. This warning was prompted by Mr Trump's whispered comments on the case, referring to it as a "con job" and a "witch hunt". Prior to the announcement of the decision, the judge issued a cautionary statement: "There shall be no displays of emotional outbursts."

In the final arguments, held earlier on Friday, an attorney for Ms Carroll informed the court that her image had been significantly damaged as a result of the former president's remarks, in which he denied sexually assaulting her.

"This case also pertains to the imposition of penalties on Donald Trump..." "This trial aims to permanently cease his actions," she said.

Ms. Carroll's legal representatives earlier informed the court that Mr. Trump's words incited a deluge of death threats, rape threats, and internet hostility directed at her.

The lawyer for Mr. Trump said that he should not be liable for any further compensation to Ms. Carroll due to the many inconsistencies in her statements.

Ms Habba said that her client was not responsible for the threats directed at Ms Carroll. During the trial, Judge Lewis Kaplan (who is not related to the plaintiff's lawyer) instructed the jurors to refrain from using their names while communicating with one another, citing the delicate nature of the case.

As it finished, he told them that they were free to share their experience. However, he expressed his belief that it would be prudent for them to refrain from disclosing their involvement in this instance.

Mr. Trump has consistently alleged that the several legal lawsuits he is confronted with are being coordinated by supporters of US President Joe Biden, a member of the Democratic Party.

Mr. Trump, the leading candidate from the Republican Party, is poised to face Mr. Biden once again in the next general election in November 2024.