E. Jean Carroll defamation case: Judge denies Trump's motion for mistrial

A jury ordered Donald Trump to pay Carroll $83 million for defaming her.

Last Updated: January 26, 2024, 10:53 AM EST

Former President Donald Trump, at the end of a five-day trial, has been ordered to pay $83.3 million in damages to former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll for defaming her in 2019 when he denied her allegations of sexual abuse.

Last year, in a separate trial, a jury determined that Trump was liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in the 1990s, and that he defamed her in a 2022 social media post by calling her allegations "a Hoax and a lie" and saying "This woman is not my type!"

Trump has denied all wrongdoing and has said he doesn't know who Carroll is.

Jan 26, 2024, 9:15 AM EST

Trump arrives at courthouse

Former President Trump has arrived at the courthouse for closing arguments this morning.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he departs for his second civil trial after E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her decades ago, outside a Trump Tower in New York City, Jan. 26, 2024.
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Jurors are expected to begin deliberations today after attorneys for Trump and E. Jean Carroll deliver their closings.

Jan 26, 2024, 8:27 AM EST

Carroll expected to request $10M+ in damages

After four days of testimony, attorneys for E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump are scheduled to deliver their closing arguments this morning.

Once closings conclude and Judge Lewis Kaplan instructs the jury on the law, nine jurors will begin deliberating how much money, if any, Trump should pay in damages for making two defamatory statements about Carroll in 2019.

In filings to the court, Carroll's lawyers have indicated they're seeking at least $10 million in damages, but their statements to the jury have reflected a potentially higher number based on Trump's repeated defamatory statements during the two-week jury trial.

Carroll's lawyers argued that Trump made 22 defamatory statements last Tuesday, when opening arguments were delivered in the case, and that overall he's made more than 100 defamatory statements, both in and out of court, during the two-week trial.

"Think about that when you consider how much money it will take to get him to stop," Carroll's lawyer Shawn Crowley told the jury earlier.

Jan 25, 2024, 2:48 PM EST

'This is not America,' Trump mutters as he leaves court

"Not America," Donald Trump muttered as he exited the courtroom following his testimony.

"It's not America. This is not America," he repeated, his voice rising as he slowly walked toward the courtroom exit.

Court was adjourned, with closing arguments scheduled for Friday.

Jan 25, 2024, 2:33 PM EST

Trump testifies he denied allegations to defend himself

"Do you stand by your testimony in your deposition?" Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, asked Trump on the witness stand.

"100% yes," Trump responded.

"Did you deny the allegation to defend yourself?" Habba asked. "Yes I did, that's exactly right," Trump responded.

"Mr. President, did you ever instruct anyone to hurt Ms. Carroll?"

"No, I just wanted to defend myself, my family and frankly the presidency," Trump answered.

Former President Donald Trump testifies as he takes the stand watched by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan during the second civil trial at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City, Jan. 25, 2024 in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

The judge struck everything after the word "no."

On cross-examination Carroll's attorney Roberta Kaplan asked whether this is the first trial with Carroll that Trump has attended. He said yes.

On redirect, Trump affirmed he was represented by counsel.

Trump then stepped down from the stand, his testimony over after all of three minutes.

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