Donald Trump Found Guilty of Sexual Assault in E. Jean Carroll Case and Ordered to Pay $5M in Damages

The Manhattan federal court jury began deliberating today, Tuesday, May 9, whether it considered Donald Trump responsible for the alleged rape of former journalist E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and finally defined that, in effect, he he sexually abused her and then slandered her as a liar.

The nine members of the jury – six men and three women – ruled in favor of the ex-columnist of the magazine Ellethus being the first time that Donald Trump is convicted of sexual assault and with an amount of 5 million dollars the compensation that she claims for damages.

Carroll, 79, sued for assault under the Adult Survivors Act, a law passed in New York that allowed a one-year window for sexual assault claims normally outside the statute of limitations, the court reported. Daily Mail.

For two weeks, the jury of six men and three women heard emotional testimony from three accusers and two friends of Carroll, among other witnesses, while the claimant was represented by prominent attorney Roberta Kaplanone of the founders of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, according to the same outlet.

After the verdict, Kaplan has dissolved the jury, which will now be able to reveal their identity, although they have been advised to remain silent and anonymous. “My advice to you is not to identify yourself”has said.

Trump did not testify during the trial nor did his defense call any witnesses, but in a video of his sworn statement to Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, last October and shown to the jury, he calls the former journalist ” liar” and “sick”.

Carroll took advantage of a law enacted in November in the state of New York that gave victims of sexual assaults a period of one year to sue their alleged attackers for assaults that had prescribed. He accused Trump of assault, “when he raped and groped her by force”, and defamation for comments that caused “reputational, emotional and professional damage”.

The jury had to consider whether the trial proved a preponderance of the evidence, a lesser burden than criminal trials require proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case dates back to 2019, after Carroll sued him for defamation after calling her a “crazy” and attacking her physical appearance to deny it. However, in November 2022 it entered into force a new law in the state of New York that enabled the possibility that he could sue you for sexual assault by being considered a survivor of this type of assault despite having prescribed.

This trial comes amid renewed attempts by Trump to return to the White House as he faces other legal proceedings, including his recent indictment for concealing a series of bribes paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for silencing an alleged sexual dalliance.

Donald Trump last month pleaded not guilty in a criminal case involving a black money payment to buy the silence of a porn star just before the 2016 election.

He is also under investigation for his efforts to reverse his loss in the 2020 election. in the state of Georgia, his alleged mishandling of classified documents taken from the White House and his involvement in the assault on the US Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.

*With information from AFP.