Donald Trump was found liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll in a civil trial, and must pay her $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages, CNBC reports.
It only took a New York jury three hours to deliberate before handing in their verdict. Carroll, a journalist, alleged that the former president sexually abused and forcibly touched her when they were in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in most likely in 1996. She also accused Trump of defaming her in a Truth Social post in October 2022, calling her rape claims a “hoax,” per the New York Post.
However, because of the statute of limitations for the alleged rape passed, Trump couldn’t be prosecuted for it. Instead, Carroll was able to file a civil suit against him, using a New York state law passed in 2022, which created a one-year window for sexual assault lawsuits that had passed the statute of limitations.
The trial took place over eight days across three weeks. Jurors heard testimonies from 11 witnesses, which included Carroll, two additional Trump accusers, and two of Carrol’s friends whom she told about the alleged assault. Trump wasn’t present at the trial, but jurors heard from him via video deposition.
The incident allegedly occurred when Carroll was helping Trump look for a gift for a woman. They were flirting when Trump asked her to try on some sheer négligée while they were on an empty floor of Bergdorf’s. Carroll then playfully asked Trump to try on the lingerie, before he took her into a fitting room and held her against the wall.
He hit her head twice during what she described as a “fight” during her testimony. Caroll alleged that he subsequently used his fingers to penetrate her, and then his penis.
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