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

Eight months after a jury determined that former President Trump was liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist is back on the witness stand this morning -- this time with Trump in attendance.

"I'm here because Donald Trump assaulted me and, when I wrote about it, he lied and he shattered my reputation," Carroll told the jury after taking the stand. "Yesterday I opened up Twitter and it said 'Hey lady, you're a fraud.'"

The courtroom seating arrangement, with Carroll on the witness stand and Trump looking on from the defense table, brings the two of them face-to-face after they appeared to avoid eye contact during the trial's first day Tuesday.

The start of former President Trump's defamation trial this morning was delayed briefly by a juror transportation issue.

As proceedings got underway, outside the jury's presence, a tense exchange unfolded between the judge and defense attorney Alina Habba, who again repeated a request to adjourn the trial on Thursday so Trump can attend the funeral of former first lady Melania Trump's mother, Amalija Knavs.

"I am asking your honor to have the kindness that my client deserves," Habba said to Judge Lewis Kaplan, who has already twice denied the defense's request to postpone the trial due to Thursday's funeral.

Kaplan, interrupting Habba, said, "Indeed Ms. Habba, the right that he has according to the Supreme Court of the United States is to be present either in person or through counsel."

Habba persisted, with Trump looking on, prompting the judge to instruct her to "sit down" and make no further argument.

"I said sit down," Kaplan said.

"I don't like to be spoken to that way," Habba responded. "I am asking your honor to please refrain from speaking to me that way. I am asking for an adjournment."

"It's denied. Sit down," Kaplan said.

Former President Trump has arrived at Manhattan federal court for Day 2 of his defamation damages trial.

His motorcade pulled up to the courthouse at around 9:15 a.m. ET.

Donald Trump is expected to be in the courtroom this morning when E. Jean Carroll takes the stand to testify about how the then-president's defamatory denial of her sexual assault allegations in 2019 upended her life.

Trump "unleashed his followers to go after her online" after Carroll went public with her allegations, damaging her reputation as a writer and making her feel unsafe in her own home, Carroll's attorney Shawn Crowley told the jury in her opening statement yesterday.

"Ms. Carroll bought bullets for the gun that she inherited from her father, and she now sleeps with it right beside her bed. She checks her surroundings every time she leaves her house or gets out of her car," Crowley said. "She's afraid -- afraid that someday, somebody is going to make good on their threats and come after her in person."

Despite sitting feet from each other in the courtroom yesterday, Carroll and Trump avoided eye contact and never interacted during the first day of the trial. However, when Carroll takes the stand to testify this morning, she will speak directly in front of the counsel table where Trump is seated.