Former United States President Donald Trump was found liable, by a Manhattan jury on Tuesday, for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. Carroll's case is the first of over a dozen sexual misconduct accusations against Trump to be successfully tested before a jury.
The jury in the civil trial, which included six men and three women, awarded Carroll $5 million in damages but ruled that Trump's accuser did not prove that he had raped her. However, the jury opted for the less serious charge of sexual abuse or forcible touching. During the trial, Carroll testified that Trump shoved her against a wall and raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.
The former president was found liable for defamation due to claims in October, where he called the civil case a "con job," "hoax," and "lie." The 76-year-old plans to appeal the decision.
"Strange verdict," said Trump's attorney, Joseph Tacopina. "This was a rape claim, this was a rape case all along and the jury rejected that, made other findings. We’ll obviously be appealing those other findings."
Donald Trump has not been convicted of a crime due to the case being civil. He is planning to run for a second presidential term in 2024.
Source: NY Times
