In addition to asking whether Trump 'raped' Carroll, the jury was asked to consider whether he 'sexually abused' her or 'forcibly touched' her.

In New York, a civil claim of battery may encompass a wide range of unwanted physical contact. Rather than be certain 'beyond a reasonable doubt,' as criminal trials require, Carroll needed to prove her case 'by a preponderance of the evidence' - in other words, the jurors needed only to believe Carroll's version of events was more likely true than not. Later, he added, 'VERY UNFAIR TRIAL!'Īfter the verdict was read, Carroll left the courthouse accompanied by her lawyer Roberta Kaplan, who said, 'We're very happy.' Carroll did not speak to reporters, but she smiled as she departed.Īs a civil trial, the burden of proof for the battery claim was lower than in a criminal proceeding. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE - A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!' he wrote on Truth Social. 'I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS. He has consistently denied Carroll's claims and continued to do so Tuesday after the jury's decision. She filed a second lawsuit in 2022, this time adding a battery claim, after the state of New York temporarily removed the statute of limitations for sexual assault survivors. That lawsuit has been hung up in federal court over the question of whether Trump could be sued for a statement he made while president. In 2019, she sued Trump for defamation over his denial of her claim. Over the course of two weeks in a federal courtroom in New York City, jurors heard Carroll's story of a flirty-turned-violent encounter with Trump at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s, at a time when her career as a writer and advice columnist was at its peak.Ĭarroll testified the incident left her unable to form romantic relationships and that her career suffered after she made her allegation public. In an email to NPR, a lawyer representing Trump said the former president would appeal the decision. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed,' Carroll said in a statement. 'Today, the world finally knows the truth. But they agreed that he 'sexually abused' her and that he defamed her when he denied her story.Ĭarroll was awarded $5 million in total damages for both claims. The nine jurors, who deliberated for barely three hours before reaching their unanimous conclusion, did not find that Trump raped Carroll. Jean Carroll, who says he raped her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. NEW YORK - A federal jury has found former President Donald Trump liable for battery and defamation in the lawsuit brought by writer E.

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