(HorizonPost.com) – Jean Carroll achieved a significant step in her defamation lawsuit against former President Trump. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan has ruled that Trump did defame Carroll with false statements in June 2019 when she accused him of assaulting her in the past. This ruling follows a jury verdict in May, which found Trump responsible for the assault and defamation of Carroll.
Judge Kaplan stated, “The jury determined that Mr. Trump’s claim that Ms. Carroll falsely accused him of assault was either a lie or made with reckless disregard for the truth. Whether Trump’s 2019 statements were made maliciously is the same issue.”
A trial, scheduled to start on January 15th in New York, will only decide the compensation Trump owes to Carroll. Carroll’s lawsuit stems from Trump’s three public denials of her claims, including a written statement, remarks on the South Lawn, and an interview with The Hill.
This year’s earlier trial concluded in Carroll’s favor, establishing that Trump had abused her in 1996 in NYC and defamed her in 2022 by denying it. Trump is currently appealing this verdict, called Carroll II.
Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan (no relation to the judge), hailed the ruling, anticipating a trial focusing solely on the damages owed for Trump’s 2019 statements.
In the upcoming months, Trump has multiple legal battles. He’s aiming to postpone an October civil fraud trial in New York. In March, he faces criminal trials in D.C. and New York over post-2020 election actions and a hush money payment. By May, a trial awaits in Florida concerning the mishandling of classified documents. A criminal trial in Georgia tied to the 2020 election is also in the pipeline, but no date has been set.
The upcoming trial in the second defamation case will be centered only on determining the compensation Mr. Trump owes Ms. Carroll for his statements.
Usually, a jury would decide if a defendant is responsible for damages. The court date is set for 15 January 2024.
Ms. Carroll’s attorneys stated they are eager for the trial focused on compensation.
While Mr. Trump is challenging the May jury verdict against him and has asked for a retrial, the decision remains pending. He has refuted claims of assaulting Ms. Carroll, asserting he has never encountered the former Elle Magazine writer and suggests she fabricated the tale to boost her book sales.
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