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E. Jean Carroll is an American journalist, author, and advice columnist. Her "Ask E. Jean" column appeared in Elle magazine from 1993 through 2019, becoming one of the longest-running advice columns in American publishing.
Ms. Carroll has stated that Donald Trump had sexually assaulted her in late 1995 or early 1996 in the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City. Ms. Carroll said that on her way out of the store she ran into Trump and he asked for help buying a gift for a woman. After suggesting a handbag or a hat, the two allegedly moved on to the lingerie section and joked about the other trying some on. Carroll said they ended up in a dressing room together, the door of which was shut, and Trump forcefully kissed her, pulled down her tights and raped her before she was able to escape.
In November 2019, Carroll filed a defamation lawsuit with the New York Supreme Court. The suit states that Trump had damaged her reputation, substantially harmed her professionally, and caused emotional pain. Carroll stated "Decades ago, the now President of the United States raped me. When I had the courage to speak out about the attack, he defamed my character, accused me of lying for personal gain, even insulted my appearance." She stated that she was "filing this (lawsuit) on behalf of every woman who has ever been harassed, assaulted, silenced, or spoken up only to be shamed, fired, ridiculed and belittled."
In September 2020, government lawyers from the Department of Justice (DOJ) asserted that Trump had acted in his official capacity while responding to Carroll's accusation; they asserted that the Federal Tort Claims Act[a] grants their department the right to take the case from Trump's private lawyers and move it to federal court.
This would end the lawsuit, as the government cannot be sued for defamation.
On November 24, 2022, Carroll sued Trump for battery in New York under the Adult Survivors Act, a law passed the previous May which briefly allows sexual assault victims to file civil suits regardless of expired statutes of limitations. Carroll made a renewed claim of defamation, citing statements Trump made in October 2021. In February 2023, Trial judge Kaplan scheduled the trial date for April 25, 2023.
The trial proceeded along all last week. Donald Trump choose to visit his golf courses in Scotland and Ireland instead of defending himself in court. An Irish reporter asked Trump on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 why he was in Ireland instead of NYC defending himself against the allegation of rape. The next day, claimed he is cutting short his trip to Ireland to “confront” E Jean Carroll after his defence team suffered a series of setbacks at his civil rape and defamation trial in New York.
Also while the trial has been going on, Trump has been posting to his Truth Social account that E. Jean Carroll is a liar, that she is ugly, that she is mentally ill. Trump has constantly said that E. Jean Carroll is "not his type." (As if there is a type that Trump would rape.) Trump has also written about the judge in this case, stating that Judge Kaplin was "extremely hostile” to him and calling the Manhattan trial a "disgrace."
During Trump's deposition last fall 2022 for this case, Trump confused a picture of E. Jean Carroll from the 1990s with his ex-wife Marla Maples.
Speaking to reporters while golfing at his Doonbeg resort on Thursday, Trump said he would “probably attend” the trial, which is hearing its final day of evidence before closing arguments next week. This is after weeks of the judge asking Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina if Trump was going to attend the trial. The answer from Tacopina was "no, he is not."
Now the judge is bending himself backwards to accommodate Trump to speak and has ordered Trump and his lawyer to notify him by 5pm EDT SU 05/07/23 if Trump will speak.
This is where the trail is today.
Closing arguments were scheduled for MO 05/08/23. Accomodating Trump at the last minute is another example of Justice bending over backwards for Trump to make sure he is treated fairly. No other American would be afforded such accommodations as Trump has by various courts since he left office in January 2021.
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