Former President Donald Trump has been found liable for defaming and sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll. The verdict was reached on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 9th, by a jury in federal court in New York City. Carroll, who has written for magazines and television, accused Trump of raping her in the Bergdorf-Goodman luxury department store in Midtown Manhattan between late 1995 and early 1996. This is not a criminal case but a civil case brought by Carroll in September 2020. The jury reportedly found Trump liable not for rape but for “sexual abuse and defamation.” Deadline.com reports, “The jury awarded $2 million to Carroll for battery and $3 million for defamation.”
After the verdict, Trump took to his Truth Social account and posted:
I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE - A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!
Jurors reportedly deliberated for fewer than three hours after being charged with the case; apparently, less time than it took the judge to issue the jury instructions. They did not find Trump liable for rape but for sexual battery. This would generally include non-consensual sexual touching. Donald Trump did not attend the trial or the verdict reading and did not testify, except through the playing of a previously recorded deposition.
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