A jury in New York has ordered former President Donald Trump to pay writer E. Jean Carroll more than $83 million in damages for defamation. The verdict, reached after less than three hours of deliberation, marks a significant moment in the legal battle between Carroll and Trump.
The jury, consisting of nine members, awarded Carroll $11 million for damage to her reputation, $7.3 million for emotional harm and other damages, and a substantial $65 million in punitive damages. This decision came after a series of contentious closing arguments, during which Trump briefly left the courtroom before returning for his attorney's final remarks. He was not present when the verdict was announced.
Trump had previously been found liable for defaming Carroll while serving as president, particularly for his dismissive comments regarding her allegations of sexual abuse. Consequently, the jury's role in this trial was solely to determine the appropriate amount of damages owed to Carroll.
Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, had urged the jury to award at least $24 million in compensatory damages, emphasizing the need for a significant punitive sum to deter Trump from further defamatory actions. In contrast, Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, argued that Carroll was not entitled to any damages, claiming she sought the attention and comments she received.
The trial, which began on January 16, saw Trump as the final witness, testifying for less than five minutes. His brief testimony reiterated his stance, labeling Carroll's accusations as false.
This verdict follows a previous judgment against Trump, where another jury found him liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a New York City department store in the 1990s and for defaming her after his presidency. That jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages, a decision Trump is currently appealing.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan had previously found Trump liable for defamation based on the findings of the earlier jury. This ruling restricted Trump from claiming Carroll's allegations were fabricated, although he briefly did so during his testimony.
