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Former President Donald Trump is set to return to court in New York for a civil case related to allegations made by writer E. Jean Carroll. A jury in May of the previous year found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll in 1996 and awarded her around $2 million for the assault and $3 million for defamation. Trump had dismissed Carroll’s claim as a “complete con job.” The upcoming trial will focus on determining the amount Trump should pay for separate remarks he made about Carroll in 2019, seeking $10 million in damages.
Scheduled a day after Trump’s victory in the Iowa caucuses, the trial coincides with the opening of the Republican presidential nomination process and precedes the New Hampshire primary. Trump, a leading candidate for the Republican nomination, expressed his intention to attend the proceedings in person. However, he did not attend the first trial. Despite requesting a postponement due to his mother-in-law’s funeral, Judge Lewis Kaplan refused, noting Trump’s plans to meet supporters in New Hampshire.
Facing at least six civil and criminal trials, including cases related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, Trump alleges political persecution. He has criticized judges and prosecutors, claiming they aim to deny him a second term. With heightened tensions, the judge ordered the secrecy of jurors’ names and emphasized that the trial would solely focus on the harm caused by Trump’s comments, which he had previously deemed defamatory, false, and malicious. Trump is barred from presenting evidence to contest the allegations of sexual assault and defamation.
