Jurors in author E. Jean Carroll’s first defamation lawsuit against former President Trump will be kept anonymous, a New York federal judge says. ruled on friday.
Judge Lewis Kaplan cited Trump’s “repeated public statements” in Carroll and many other cases as part of his reasoning for the decision. President Trump currently faces strict gag orders restricting his speech in two separate courts.
“Given that Mr. Trump has repeatedly made public statements regarding the plaintiffs and the court in this and other cases against him, and that this case has already received extensive coverage, it is likely that there will be more coverage once the trial is over. “The court found that there was strong reason to believe that the jury needed the protection of anonymity, even though there was a “likely” imminent or ongoing case,” Kaplan wrote.
The suit is Carroll’s first defamation suit against a former president. A second lawsuit was filed in May, with an anonymous jury ruling in favor of the authors. The verdict found Trump responsible for the sexual abuse and found that he had defamed Carroll by making statements that contradicted Carroll’s claims.
He was ordered to pay $5 million in restitution.
The upcoming defamation trial revolves around comments Trump made about Carroll after the publication of his memoir in 2019. A federal appeals court has not yet ruled on Trump’s argument that absolute presidential immunity protects him from lawsuits because he was president at the time of his comments.
The lawsuit also includes comments President Trump made about Carroll after his May sentencing. She is seeking $10 million in damages.
The trial is scheduled for January 16th.
Gag orders have been put in place in other trials, preventing President Trump from disrespecting court officials or witnesses. He was fined $15,000 for two gag order violations in a New York civil court accusing him of business fraud.
President Trump has appealed a stricter gag order in a federal criminal trial in Washington over allegations of election interference. The order remained until late Friday.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
