Lawyers for writer E. Jean Carroll have claimed in court that former President Donald Trump is making “meritless” claims that she failed to meet her burden in showing his conduct was the cause of her injuries as part of her defamation case against him.
The lawsuit accused him of having denied raping her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996.
Lawyers for President Trump had unsuccessfully attempted to dismiss the lawsuit on the basis he should be granted absolute presidential immunity in the case.
The jury was instructed to accept as true the sexual assault allegations, as a separate civil case last year found President Trump liable for “sexual battery” and awarded Ms. Carroll $5 million in damages, including $2 million in damages for sexual abuse and around $3 million for defamation.
Trump Posts $91.6 Million Bond
President Trump, who has repeatedly maintained his innocence, posted a $91.6 million bond in the former case earlier this month following January’s ruling while his lawyers appeal the amount to be awarded to Ms. Carroll.His legal team is hoping the verdict will be set aside or the amount will be greatly reduced by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing the case.
‘Carroll Offered Overwhelming Evidence’
Ms. Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan disagrees.“Trump took the stand for less than three minutes. And the jury returned a verdict entirely in favor of Carroll, awarding her $83.3 million in damages,” Ms. Kaplan wrote in the March 26 filing. “Trump argues that Carroll failed to show that ‘her injuries were not caused by third parties,’ and asserts (without support) that she ‘cannot recover if the evidence establishes one or more possible causes of injury for which [Trump] is not responsible ... By contrast, Carroll offered overwhelming evidence that Trump’s defamation caused her injuries,” the lawyer continued.
President Trump, the lawyer said, “has provided no basis for overturning the jury’s verdict” in the defamation lawsuit against him and his arguments as part of efforts to set aside January’s verdict or, at a minimum, reduce the amount of money he now owes Ms. Carroll, are “meritless,” the lawyer concluded.
For this reason, Ms. Kaplan asked the court to deny a renewed motion filed by President Trump’s legal team alleging Ms. Carroll failed to show his actions caused injury.
Speaking earlier this month after President Trump posted the $91.6 million bond, his lawyer, Alina Habba said she was hopeful his appeal would be successful.
“Due to the numerous prejudicial errors made at the lower level, we are highly confident that the Second Circuit will overturn this egregious judgment,” Ms. Habba said in a statement.
The Epoch Times has contacted Ms. Habba for further comment.
