In a significant development, Judge Lewis Kaplan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has rejected former President Donald Trump's bid for a new trial in the defamation case brought against him by writer E. Jean Carroll. The judge's decision upholds the original verdict and $83.3 million award to Carroll, which was handed down in January 2024.
Trump had argued that the ruling was without merit and sought a new trial based on various grounds, including alleged juror misconduct and insufficient evidence. However, Kaplan dismissed these arguments as having no basis in fact or law.
Carroll initially sued Trump for defamation in 2019 after he denied her allegations of sexual assault that had been made public years earlier. The jury found Trump liable for defamation and awarded Carroll compensatory damages, along with punitive damages to deter future similar behavior from the former president.
Throughout the trial, Trump's conduct both during court proceedings and on social media was a subject of concern for the judge. Kaplan noted that Trump's actions during trial, including walking out of Carroll's closing arguments and making derogatory comments about her in court, were taken into account when determining damages.
Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan (no relation to the judge), expressed satisfaction with the decision but noted that Trump continued to defame her client during the trial itself. The legal team is now focusing on collecting the judgment from Trump.
This ruling comes as Trump faces other legal challenges, including a criminal trial in Manhattan related to business records and an affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels.
