The jury’s verdict included $65 million in fines for Trump after the jury found he acted with harshness in his comments about author Carroll.
US jury orders Trump to pay US$83m
On Friday, a jury in New York ordered ex-US President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages to author E. Jane Carroll. She was accused of sexual assault and defamation by Donald Trump.
The civil order prompted an audible gasp in federal court, exceeding the more than US$10 million in damages Carroll had sought for defamation.
Trump immediately condemned the decision. Trump called it a “ridiculous” statement and vowed to appeal.
The jury reached its ruling after at least three hours of deliberation.
Trump was in court earlier, walked out at one point, but later returned for closing arguments. When the clerk read the compensatory and disciplinary damages levels, he was not in court.
The order comprised US$65 million in disciplinary damages after the jury found that Trump acted cruelly in his many public comments about Carroll. She charged US$7.3 million in compensatory damages and US$11 million for a reputational repair program.
Trump was found guilty by a jury in New York of sexually harassing Carroll in a separate federal civil case. Trump used his Truth Social platform to remove defamatory messages attacking Carroll, the lawsuit, and the Judge. He described Judge as “a very abusive individual.”
During testimony, Judge Lewis Kaplan limited Trump to three questions from his lawyers, to which he could only answer yes or no. To prevent the Republican leader from publicly insulting the court or Carroll.
During leaving the courtroom, Trump said after his brief appearance, “This is not America.”
Trump’s lawyer, Alina Haba, said outside court, “Every defense, every single defense, was taken away from us before we even got in there. I am proud to stand with President Trump; we will instantly appeal.”
After the verdict, Alina Haba, Donald Trump’s lawyer, spoke only to thank the court staff. A judge exchanged smiles with Carroll as the nine men and women left the courtroom after the Judge encouraged them to protect their privacy.
After the verdict, Judge Lewis Kaplan told the jury, “It’s clear to me… you paid attention”.
Trump faces several separate criminal charges, including his likely attempt to fiddle with the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden and a civil business fraud case.
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