Former President Trump has been ordered to pay $83.3 million in E. Jean Carroll's civil defamation trial.
Trump-@ejeancarroll verdict says Carroll proved more than nominal defamation by Trump.
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) January 26, 2024
So Trump has to pay:
$7.3 million for compensatory damages.
$11 million for reputation repair.
$65 million in punitive damages.
Total: $83.3 million.
Carroll accused Trump of having sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s at a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan. While the alleged attack happened decades ago, Carroll sued under New York's Adult Survivors Act, which allows victims to sue for civil damages beyond the statute of limitations.
"I am filing this on behalf of every woman who has ever been harassed, assaulted, silenced, or spoken up only to be shamed, fired, ridiculed and belittled," Carrol said last year.
Notably, the judge in the case (Kaplan), forbade Trump or his attorneys from arguing that he didn't sexually assault Carroll.
The judge reminded the jury to accept the earlier trial's verdict.
When he noted the trial established Trump "inserted his finger into her vagina," the former president reportedly jolted from his seat and wore an expression of disgust.
Trump said on the witness stand that he denied Carroll's claims because he "wanted to defend myself," which the judge told the jury to ignore.
In closing arguments for Carroll Friday morning, her attorney argued that Trump acted as if he was above the law by lying, saying that the former president "ignored the other jury verdict as if it never happened," and even repeated the claims at a press conference during the second trial.
"Donald Trump engaged in the very same defamation after the trial," attorney Roberta Kaplan (no relation) said.
Trump then stood up, buttoned his suit jacket, and stormed out of the courtroom.
After Trump stormed out, Judge Kaplan briefly interrupted the closing argument and said:
"The record will reflect that Mr. Trump just rose and walked out of the courtroom."
Fuck It
Prior to Friday's closing arguments, Trump attorney Alina Habba became frustrated after the judge forbade her from including examples of tweets not entered into evidence during the trial.
"No. No. Your honor, I have been—" Habba began to say.
"Ms. Habba, you are on the verge of spending some time in the lockout," replied the judge, cutting her off. "Now sit down."
"Fuck it," Habba muttered upon sitting down.
The jury reached its decision after slightly less than three hours of deliberations.
Carroll's attorney also Friday asked the jury to order Trump to pay at least $24 million in damages, according to multiple outlets; so $83 million is a huge victory for virtue.
Add that to the $5 million Carroll was awarded in her 2023 case against Trump.
Trump called the defamation ruling "ridiculous", and promised an appeal.
