A federal jury needed about three hours on Friday afternoon to reach a verdict that determines how much more in damages former President Donald Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll in addition to the $5 million sexual abuse and defamation penalty he paid last year.
The outcome is set to be read in open court before the end of the business day, according to a court official.
In 2019, Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s — and then defaming her by insulting her when she came forward decades later. Trump denied it, telling reporters: “She’s not my type,” sparking multiple federal lawsuits since that time.
Last spring, a separate jury found in Carroll’s favor, awarding her millions in a landmark ruling that’s now under appeal.
Earlier this year, senior U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that the prior verdict left only one issue to decide in Carroll’s remaining lawsuit: How much more Trump must pay in damages for statements he made during his presidency.
As he gave the jury its instructions on Friday, Kaplan told the nine New Yorkers that they may no longer question that Trump sexually assaulted Carroll "by forcibly inserting his fingers into her vagina without her consent."
Trump’s lawyer Michael Madaio had objected to that instruction before the panel entered the room, but he was overruled.
Jurors also must accept that Trump defamed her.
In his instructions, Kaplan told the jurors that the Southern District of New York (SDNY) has been functioning since 1789. "Through wars, through economic depressions, through pandemics, jurors like you have been [sent] to decide cases," he said.
The judge also added: "The jury embodies what is perhaps the most fundamental idea of our nation: That we the people created it, and we the people govern it."
At about 1:40 p.m. EST, the nine-person jury took their oath and officially began deliberations. They were finished around 4:30 p.m. EST.