Writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation trial against former President Donald Trump was canceled for the day on Monday after a juror was sent home sick, multiple outlets report, delaying the ex-president’s defense as he faces paying more than $10 million damages—though his attorney told the court Monday he does hope to take the stand when the trial resumes.
Former President Donald Trump leaves his apartment building in New York on Jan. 22, on his way to ... [+]
Carroll’s trial against Trump was due to enter its second week, after the writer accused Trump of defamation after he denied her rape allegations against him in 2019, declaring Carroll “wasn’t my type.”
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan canceled the trial until Tuesday after a juror in the case was sent home sick.
Trump’s attorney Alina Habba also reported feeling ill and was exposed to Covid after dining with her parents three days ago, CNN reports, though Habba and her co-counsel tested negative on Monday.
Trump’s attorneys were due to start presenting their defense Monday and the ex-president was present in court; it was possible he could have taken the stand and testified.
Habba told Kaplan Monday that Trump does plan to testify in the case, but asked that he be allowed to do so on Wednesday instead of Tuesday, due to New Hampshire’s primary election, multiple outlets report.
Kaplan has not yet ruled on that request.
The trial is expected to resume at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, though it’s possible there could be further delays if other jurors become ill or Habba tests positive for Covid. Once the trial resumes, Carroll’s lawyers are expected to call one final witness to testify and then Trump’s attorneys will start presenting their defense, which they’ve told the court should take approximately two days.
$10 million. That’s how much Carroll is asking the jury to award her in compensatory damages, as well as an unspecified amount of punitive damages meant to deter Trump from defaming her in the future. The trial will only determine how much Trump has to pay in damages, after an earlier trial on separate but similar allegations already found the ex-president liable for defamation and sexual assault. Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million in that case.
What will happen if and when Trump testifies.
This story is breaking and will be updated.