(CTN News) – A federal appeals court on Monday declined to reverse a jury verdict worth $83.3 million that found that U.S. President Donald Trump damaged novelist E. Jean Carroll’s reputation in 2019 by disregarding her rape allegations.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan rejected Trump’s argument that the January 2024 ruling had to be reversed because he was president and had immunity.
Additionally, it stated that Trump’s criticism of Carroll became “more extreme and frequent” as the trial drew near, which was perceived as a problem given his tenacity in doing so.
In their ruling, the three judges made the same conclusion but chose not to sign it: “The record in this case supports the district court’s determination that Mr.
Trump’s conduct was remarkably high, perhaps unprecedented.”
A different jury in May 2023 awarded Carroll $5 million after finding Trump guilty of sexual assault and slander but not rape. The appeals court upheld that decision in June.
These rulings were among the numerous legal issues Trump had to deal with after leaving the White House in 2021.
The Republican denied any wrongdoing while campaigning, claiming that his legal issues were a part of a Democratic-led scheme to undermine his eventually successful 2024 campaign.
Trump is contesting several court rulings, including the finding that he committed fraud in the civil action filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James against his family firm and his criminal conviction in May 2024 for falsifying documents to conceal a sexual scandal.
The appeals are still pending, although Trump avoided jail time in the criminal case and convinced a New York State appeals court to reverse a fine of around $500 million in the civil case.
The lawyers for President Trump said in a statement on Monday that “President Trump will continue to prevail against liberal lawfare, as he is focused on his goal to restore America’s greatness.”
In a statement, Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said, “We look forward to the end of the appellate process to make sure that justice is finally done.”
“NOT MY TYPE”
Trump struck Carroll, now 81, in a changing room at Bergdorf Goodman.
The 79-year-old Trump initially refuted the allegation in June 2019. He said that Carroll was “not my type” and that she had made up the incident to promote her book, “What Do We Need Men For?” to a reporter.
In an October 2022 Truth Social post that sparked the $5 million ruling, he essentially stated the same things. $18.3 million in damages for mental and reputational loss and $65 million in fines comprised the $83.3 million award.
The appeals court on Monday deemed the $83.3 million award fair “in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts” of the case. According to the court, the activity in question demonstrates the need for a significant award of serious damages.
“It persisted for a minimum of five years, resulted in severe emotional harm, and was motivated by malice and deceit.” Trump claimed in Carroll’s civil complaint that he was immune from prosecution because of a July 2024 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that granted him broad criminal immunity.
He added that Carroll was raised in 2019 when he was president and that if he wasn’t protected, the freedom of the Executive Branch might be in jeopardy.
Trump also attacked U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over both trials, for disregarding his testimony that he told Carroll, “I just wanted to defend myself, my family, and frankly, the presidency.”
That response “implied that Carroll’s accusations were false and improper,” according to the appeals court, and it was appropriate to omit it because the judge had reached a different conclusion.
Carroll’s second book, “Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President,” was published in June. Her legal battles against Trump are chronicled in the book.
SOURCE: USN
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