One day after his victory in the Republican primary in the US state of Iowa, ex-President Donald Trump appeared in New York at the start of a second libel trial against him by US author E. Jean Carroll.
The trial began in a Manhattan court with the selection of a nine-member jury. Carroll also came in person and – in contrast to Trump, who left the building again during the lunch break – stayed through the opening arguments of both sides in the afternoon until the end of the court hearing. Both Carrol and Trump initially only spoke through their lawyers.
It’s all about this
A New York jury found it proven in May that Trump attacked, sexually abused and later libeled Carroll in a New York luxury department store in 1996. The jury then awarded the writer compensation of five million dollars (around 4.65 million euros). Trump never appeared at this first trial himself, and his presence was not mandatory at the start of the second trial.
Before the start of the second trial, a judge had ruled that further comments by Trump were defamatory. The jury now only has to decide on the amount of compensation that the ex-president must pay to the woman. Carroll is asking for more than $10 million.
Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba accused Carroll in her opening statement of wanting to enrich herself from her client. The amount of attention the trials brought gave her career new impetus. Carroll’s attorney, Shawn Crowley, argued that the large sum was justified because his client lives in fear every day of the hatred and threats she receives from Trump supporters.
Trump is taking advantage of the attention
Trump is considered the Republicans’ most promising candidate in the November presidential election. However, he currently has to deal with the courts in numerous different cases. The 77-year-old often uses the court dates as a kind of election campaign event, which has already earned him criticism from several judges.
It was initially not clear whether the ex-president would also want to be present during the further course of the trial. A deposition from Carroll was scheduled for today.
