In a landmark verdict, Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, has been found liable for sexual abuse and defamation. This marks the inaugural instance wherein the ex-president, who has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault, has been found liable in a legal capacity.
Esteemed writer E. Jean Carroll brought forward this lawsuit under the jurisdiction of New York’s Adult Survivors Act.
The lawsuit put forth the assertion that, “Roughly 27 years ago, playful banter at the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in New York City took a dark turn when Defendant Donald J. Trump seized Plaintiff E. Jean Carroll, forced her up against a dressing room wall, pinned her in place with his shoulder, and raped her.”
Carroll began to openly discuss these accusations in 2019, at which point Trump dismissed her claims as false and an attempt to publicize her memoir. Carroll responded by suing Trump for defamation and subsequently filed a second lawsuit for battery and defamation.
All nine members of the jury (six men and three women) Because the suit was civil and not legal, Trump is unlikely to be charged with a crime. The jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $5 million.
The nine jurors, who deliberated for barely three hours before reaching their unanimous conclusion, did not find that Trump raped Carroll. But they agreed that he “sexually abused” her and that he defamed her when he denied her story. Given the civil nature of the case, it is unlikely that Trump will face criminal charges. The jury mandated that Trump must compensate Carroll with a sum of $5 million.
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