The Manhattan jury hearing evidence in E. Jean Carroll’s federal lawsuit accusing former President Trump of raping her decades ago has reached a verdict.
The nine-person panel — three women and six men — reached the decision Tuesday after three hours of deliberations that began Tuesday May 9 following eight days of trial in Manhattan federal court.
The jurors were tasked with determining if the 45th president is liable for battery in the “Ask E. Jean” advice columnist’s case accusing him of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman fitting room, most likely in 1996.
They also needed to determine whether Trump, 76, defamed Carroll when he publicly denied her allegations, claimed he had never met her and accusing her of making up the story for political reasons and to help push her book sales.
If the jury determines Trump is liable, it can award Carroll, 79, whatever compensatory and punitive damages it sees fit.
Trump has not attended the trial and did not testify. But jurors saw clips of his video deposition in which he said Carroll’s claim is “the most ridiculous, disgusting story.”
During the course of trial, Carroll called 10 witnesses including two other Trump accusers and her two friends who she said she she confided in about the alleged assault soon after.
Carroll also took the witness stand over the course of three days recounting the alleged attack and detailing the emotional fallout to her personal life as well as the damage Trump’s denials had on her reputation as a journalist.
Trump did not call any witnesses or present any evidence to the jury.
During closing arguments Monday, Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, painted Trump as a habitual liar and blasted him for the fact “He didn’t even bother to show up here in person.”
Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina claimed in his closings that Carroll’s accusations were a “work of fiction,” and said she wanted jurors “to hate” Trump “enough to ignore the facts.”