Trump seeks new trial in E. Jean Carroll sexual assault case

Former US President Donald Trump is seeking a new trial in a civil case brought against him by writer E. Jean Carroll. In the previous trial, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages.

Trump's lawyers argue that the jury's awards are excessive and based on speculation.

The defense claims that the $2 million awarded for the sexual abuse portion of the verdict is too high because the jury did not find that Carroll was raped, and her alleged experiences did not cause a diagnosed mental injury. They also argue that the $2.7 million awarded for defamation is unsupported speculation.

Carroll's attorney dismissed Trump's arguments as frivolous, saying that the jury carefully considered the evidence and unanimously found Trump guilty of sexual abuse. They pointed out that Trump did not present any witnesses of his own during the trial.

Carroll, a former advice columnist, filed a lawsuit in 2022 alleging that Trump raped her in the mid-1990s and defamed her by denying it. The trial included testimonies from Carroll's friends and other women who claimed Trump assaulted them under similar circumstances. Trump's lawyers argued that Carroll's narrative was implausible and lacked supporting evidence for her damages claims.

This case is not the first legal battle between Carroll and Trump. She previously filed a defamation lawsuit in 2019, which has been delayed due to questions about Trump's immunity as a former president. Carroll sought to amend this lawsuit to include additional damages over Trump's recent comments, where he called the case a "complete con job."

Trump, who is currently running for the 2024 presidential campaign as a Republican candidate, denies the allegations and has appealed the verdict. The judge has yet to rule on Carroll's request to amend her lawsuit.