Jury Finds Donald Trump Liable For Sexual Abuse In Civil Case, Awards Accuser E. Jean Carroll $5M
A Manhattan jury found former President Donald Trump liable Tuesday (May 9) in a civil trial for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll, an advice columnist, in a department store dressing room 1996. She was awarded $5 million total in damages.
The nine-member jury reached a decision, which had to be unanimous, after less than three hours of deliberations, CBS News reported.
In arriving at their verdict, the jurors rejected Carroll’s claim that Trump raped her. Instead they found him liable for sexual abuse and defaming Carroll after she made her allegations public.
Trump not only denied Carroll’s allegations but also denied knowing her. The former president has maintained that “she’s not my type,” though he confused Carroll's photo with his ex-wife Marla Maples.
"I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE - A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!" Trump lashed out on social media site Truth Social, according to CBS News.
Trump, who was not in the courtroom for the verdict or the trial itself can appeal, but it is unclear if he will.
Carroll alleged that Trump assaulted her in a department store dressing room during the mid-90s and then defamed her as she told about her ordeal in 2019. Trump has maintained his denial of her claim ever since.
Jurors were not convinced that Carroll was raped, but did say Trump committed sexual assault and that he was liable for defaming her after she went public with her account.
This is the latest in a series of legal woes for Trump as he continues to gear up for a new White House run in 2024, which would be a rematch between him and President Joe Biden if both get their respective parties' nomination.
In addition to the Carroll case, he is dealing with investigations into his alleged mishandling of classified documents, as well as his behavior in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 rioting at the U.S. Capitol. He is also still wrangling with the criminal case related to hush money payments allegedly made to adult film performer Stormy Daniels.
