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January trial date set for E. Jean Carroll's $10M defamation suit against Trump

E. Jean Carroll is seeking an additional $10 million in damages from former President Donald Trump, claiming he defamed her in 2019 when he said she was "not my type" after Carroll first came forward with allegations against the sitting president. Photo by Louis Lanzano / UPI
E. Jean Carroll is seeking an additional $10 million in damages from former President Donald Trump, claiming he defamed her in 2019 when he said she was "not my type" after Carroll first came forward with allegations against the sitting president. Photo by Louis Lanzano / UPI | License Photo

June 16 (UPI) -- A federal judge has set a January trial date to hear E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump that was first filed four years ago.

Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York ordered the civil trial to begin Jan. 15 as Carroll seeks an additional $10 million in damages from Trump, claiming he defamed her in 2019 when he denied raping her, saying she was "not my type" after Carroll first came forward with allegations against the sitting president.

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Last month, Carroll was awarded $5 million in a separate civil case against Trump after a jury found he sexually abused the former magazine columnist in a New York City department store in the 1990s.

As part of that verdict, Trump was also found liable for defaming Carroll in a 2022 Truth Social post, in which Trump called the allegations "a Hoax" before repeating the phrase "This woman is not my type!"

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Following the trial, Carroll's legal team filed an amended complaint in the original 2019 defamation case after Trump appeared on a CNN town hall on May 10 -- one day after the verdict -- claiming not to know Carroll and calling her a "whack job."

Earlier this week, Kaplan ruled to allow Carroll to revise the 2019 lawsuit to include the former president's most recent public comments about the case.

"Trump's defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will, or spite," the amended complaint says, adding "Trump used a national platform to demean and mock Carroll. He egged on a laughing audience as he made light of his violent sexual assault, called Carroll names, implied that Carroll was asking to be assaulted, and dismissed the jury's verdict vindicating Carroll."

The trial, which has been delayed as lawyers argued over whether Trump could be held accountable for remarks he made as president, will begin one week before the start of the Republican primary season as Trump seeks a second term in 2024.

Separately, Trump is also set to go on trial in March to face 34 felony charges related to hush-money payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels, with whom he allegedly had a sexual encounter that threatened to upend his 2016 campaign.

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Following last month's trial, Trump was ordered to pay $2 million in compensation to Carroll and $20,000 for battery. The jury also awarded Carroll $1.7 million for repetitional repair, $1 million for compensatory damages and $280,000 in punitive damages.

Trump's attorneys have already filed notice of their intent to appeal the verdict.

Earlier this week, Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 felonies related to the alleged mishandling of classified government documents after leaving office.

In a Tuesday speech to his supporters, Trump maintained his innocence while blasting the charges as political retribution.

"Today, we witnessed the most evil and heinous abuse of power in the history of the country," Trump said. "This is called election interference. It's political persecution."

"Threatening me with 400 years in prison for possessing my own presidential papers as every other president has done," he added.

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