United States: start of deliberations in the trial for rape and defamation against Donald Trump

Jean Carrol, who accuses Donald Trump of rape and defamation, leaves the federal court in New York, May 8, 2023. AP - Seth Wenig

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

This is the beginning this Tuesday of deliberations in the civil trial of Jean Carroll against Donald Trump. The American writer accuses the former president of rape and defamation. Donald Trump, who no longer counts the legal cases against him, could have to pay millions of dollars in damages if he is found guilty.

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For two weeks, the jury was able to hear two opposing versions in a case marked by the absence of physical evidence, because the facts in question would have taken place 27 years ago, reports our correspondent in New York, Loubna Anaki. After these last pleadings of both sides, long and combative, nine citizens will have to decide from Tuesday if the billionaire must pay damages to Jean Carroll.

The 79-year-old woman claims that Donald Trump raped her in the spring of 1996 in the fitting rooms of a Manhattan department store, then defamed her, after she made the first accusations in a book in 2019. To support her accusations, her lawyers called two friends to whom she would have confided, at the time, just after her attack. Also heard are several other women who claim to have been a victim of Donald Trump.

Trump absent from court

On Monday, Jean Carroll's lawyer spoke for 75 minutes calling on the jury to render, "a fair decision". "No one, not even a former president, is above the law," said the lawyer of former Elle magazine columnist Roberta Kaplan in front of the six men and three women who make up the jury. "They want you to hate him enough to ignore the facts," retorted, during a 2:30 pleading, Donald Trump's counsel, Joe Tacopina, who again accused the plaintiff of fabricating the story.

Donald Trump never appeared in federal court in Manhattan during the two weeks of the trial, and the jury had to settle Thursday for the video of his testimony in the proceedings, where he repeats not to remember Jean Carroll and ensures that "she is not his type".

In the absence of DNA, videos, direct witnesses, the lawyers of the former president, them, tried to demonstrate that these accusations were, "incredible and inconceivable". From the beginning, Donald Trump denies and speaks of a conspiracy.

Even in civil matters, a conviction would add to the legal troubles of the former president, who is running for the White House again in 2024. In early April, unprecedented for a former US president, he was indicted in criminal proceedings in New York for 34 accounting and tax frauds related to payments to cover up embarrassing cases before the 2016 presidential election.

(

With AFP)

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• United States
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