Trump’s Legal Team Vows to Appeal E. Jean Carroll Award After Judge Upholds It

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump vowed on Thursday to attraction a choice by a federal choose to let stand an $83 million defamation award granted to columnist E. Jean Carroll earlier this 12 months.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, a Clinton appointee, mentioned in a written opinion that Trump’s authorized arguments are with out advantage, CNN reported, including that the punitive damages the jury awarded to Carroll “passes constitutional muster.”

Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s legal professional, declared in a press release that her group is “pleased, though not surprised, by the Court’s decision.” She isn’t associated to the federal choose.

“As the Court explained, it was entirely reasonable for the jury to award E. Jean Carroll $83 million in damages given Donald Trump’s continued defamation of Ms. Carroll during the trial itself, as well as his conduct in the courtroom, where his ‘hatred and disdain (were) on full display,’” Kaplan mentioned.

CNN added:

Carroll, a former journal columnist, alleged Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman division retailer within the mid-Nineties after which defamed her when he denied her declare. In a separate case, a jury final 12 months discovered Trump responsible for the sexual assault.

The second case stems from remarks Trump had made denying Carroll’s allegations in 2019. He was discovered responsible for defamation final 12 months, and a jury earlier this 12 months ordered him to pay $83.3 million in punitive and compensatory damages.

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Trump’s authorized group argued that the damages awarded to Carroll within the defamation case had been extreme, however Kaplan dismissed that argument in his opinion launched on Thursday.

“Mr. Trump’s malicious and unceasing attacks on Ms. Carroll were disseminated to more than 100 million people,” Kaplan wrote. “They included public threats and personal attacks, and they endangered Ms. Carroll’s health and safety.”

“The jury was entitled to conclude that Mr. Trump derailed the career, reputation, and emotional well-being of one of America’s most successful and prominent advice columnists and authors,” he added.

Carroll by no means made her allegation in opposition to Trump till he ran for president and received.

Trump legal professional and spokeswoman Alina Habba blasted the choice and vowed to attraction it to the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

“We categorically disagree with Judge Kaplan’s decision,” mentioned Habba. “It ignores long-standing constitutional principles and is a prime example of the lawfare raging across this country. We are confident that this decision will be overturned by the Second Circuit.”

CBS News famous: “A longtime advice columnist, Carroll wrote a story in New York magazine in 2019 accusing Trump of sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. Trump, who was president when the story was published, denied the allegations, calling Carroll a ‘whack job’ and claiming he had never met her.”

After Trump was discovered responsible for sexual assault and defamation within the first trial, an outdated Facebook submit from 2012 written by Carroll surfaced by which she declared she was a “massive fan” of Trump’s hit TV present, “The Apprentice.”

“Two [sic] many good TV shows on Sunday Night! My God! What do YOU watch?” she initially wrote earlier than responding to her personal submit: “I’m a MASSIVE Apprentice fan.”

Donald Trump Jr. seized on the submit on the time, writing: “This seems like a perfectly normal thing to say given the accusations?!? Unless, of course, the accusations were totally fabricated and made up recently as a political hit job.”

This looks like a superbly regular factor to say given the accusations?!?

Unless, in fact, the accusations had been completely fabricated and made up not too long ago as a political hit job. https://t.co/zolszTz7QI

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 13, 2023

The skepticism poured in afterward.

“Massive Apprentice Fan???? How are you a fan of the show who’s star is DJT? You know, the one you said (raped)  you all those years ago??? I hope our amazing POTUS sues your ass for everything you have. You are a disgrace to women who are true victims of sexual assault. Who put you up to this???” one particular person wrote in response.

“Why are you a fan of a guy that supposedly raped you?” one other requested.

“A “MASSIVE” Apprentice fan???????? You slapped the faces of true rape victims, you fraud!!!” one other wrote.

“A MASSIVE APPRENTICE FAN??? WHY WOULD YOU BE A FAN OF A SHOW OF A MAN YOU WOULD YEARS LATER ACCUSE OF RAPE? YOU ARE A FRAUD AND I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU CAN LIVE WITH YOURSELF. YOU ARE HURTING ALL TRUE SURVIVORS. I HOPE HE SUES YOU BACK AND WINS!” one other particular person mentioned.

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