What to know about the E. Jean Carroll-Donald Trump rape trial

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Former President Donald Trump faced another court case this week, this time centering on allegations that he raped writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s, a claim he has denied. The case renews the investigation into more than 20 sexual misconduct allegations brought against Trump, and adds to the legal problems he has faced over everything from allegedly falsifying business records to tampering. in the presidential election.

The case Carroll filed is a civil one, meaning Trump would have to pay damages if a jury agrees with his claims, but it doesn’t put him at risk of jail time. Carroll also asked Trump to retract the denials he made about the rape allegations if he wins the case.

The two issues Carroll raised in the lawsuit include a claim of battery, citing psychological injuries she suffered as a result of Trump’s alleged sexual assault, and a claim of defamation from comment he made about him making the allegation. A panel of anonymous jurors will have to decide whether she is liable on both counts, effectively determining whether she should be held liable for the rape charge Carroll made.

On Tuesday, lawyers will begin jury selection in federal court in the Southern District of New York. Trump is not required to testify at the trial, which is expected to take place in the next two weeks, and it is unclear at this point whether he will choose to do so. Carroll is expected to take a stand and further highlight his problematic treatment of women ahead of the 2024 election.

A win for Carroll in this case could send a strong message about Trump’s history of alleged sexual assault and highlight the impact of a new law in New York, which allows survivors to pursue a lawsuit involving such allegations years after the incident.

For survivors of sexual assault, any measure of accountability for public figures can have a significant impact. It’s very important for victims of sexual violence to know that, no matter how strong the person is, no matter how long ago it happened, the courts take what you say seriously, Laura Beth Nielsen, a professor and director of sociology. of legal studies at Northwestern University, told Vox.

What are Carrolls allegations against Trump?

Carroll alleged that Trump raped her after they ran into each other at a department store in the 1990s. He first published the allegations in 2019 in a New York magazine article that quoted his book, What Do We Need Men For?: A Modest Proposal.

In the article, Carroll, who has a television show where he takes questions from the audience, said he spoke with Trump after he recognized her as a counselor when they were both at the department store, Bergdorf Goodman. After their run-in, Trump said he needed help picking out a gift for a woman in his life, eventually heading to the lingerie department.

Once there, according to the Carrolls’ allegations, Trump convinced Carroll to go into the dressing room, where he pushed her against a wall and put his mouth on her. Carroll pushed her away, but he allegedly continued to force himself on her, pulling down her pantyhose, groping her, and raping her, she said. The description bears striking similarities to other allegations made about Trump involving forced kissing and groping. Trump has denied this and other allegations.

Carroll explained that he did not go to the police when the incident occurred, and did not immediately come forward because of concerns about being dismissed. At the time, he told two friends about the incident, both of whom confirmed to New York magazine that the attack was on them. Carroll also said her decision to speak publicly about the alleged assault changed when Trump became president and when allegations began to surface against other celebrities like Harvey Weinstein.

Trump has issued multiple denials of the allegations over the years, telling Truth Social last fall that Carrolls claims were a hoax and a lie, and a complete con job.

Carroll filed two lawsuits against Trump after the allegations were made public. The first, which accused him of defaming her by slandering her allegations, was stalled in court, while the second lawsuit, addressing both battery and defamation, is set to begin today week.

What are the stakes of this case?

The case puts allegations of Trump’s misconduct with women back into the spotlight and increases the focus on his legal troubles.

According to a Business Insider count, 26 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. This list includes model Amy Dorris, who said she was forcibly kissed and groped in 1997; businesswoman Jessica Leeds, who said he reached up her skirt and groped her in the 1970s; and People magazine reporter Natasha Stoynoff, who said he pushed her against a wall and forcibly kissed her in 2005. Trump has denied all of these allegations and has often sought to diminish the women who make them by criticizing their appearance. and suggesting that they are not his type.

If a jury finds Trump liable, the Carrolls’ case could send a strong signal about the broader allegations against him.

Additionally, the suit reflects the impact of a new law in New York, passed in 2022 to extend the statute of limitations for pursuing legal sexual assault claims. The 2022 law, known as the Adult Survivors Act, allows people to file civil claims about past allegations of sexual assault including those that occurred beyond the statute of limitations. of the state. This provides a one-year grace period for survivors to make these claims. Dozens of lawsuits have already been filed, and more could emerge before the deadline closes this fall.

I remained silent for years after I was assaulted, and by remaining silent I lost my opportunity to hold my attacker accountable, Carroll wrote in letters to lawmakers advocating for the passage of the law. In many cases of sexual assault, survivors do not report immediately because they are not ready to do so, have not yet processed the incident, or are too traumatized in the moment.

Carrolls may be the latest case to show the impact of policies that give survivors more time to report. His ability to pursue this suit at all shows the importance of a proposal like this.

The Carrolls’ lawsuit is also one of many legal problems Trump is navigating. In April, a Manhattan grand jury indicted him on 34 counts of falsifying business records. And he’s still facing two federal investigations, one about the alleged handling of classified documents, and the other about potential interference with the peaceful transition of power after the 2020 election. Finally, there’s also a criminal investigation in Georgia about whether he tried to illegally change the results of the state’s 2020 election.

What consequences could Trump face?

If Trump is found liable on the two claims from Carroll, he will have to pay financial damages. More broadly, it means a jury believes he should face consequences for his rape allegation, underscoring the scrutiny Trump has received for his treatment of women.

That’s a problem that has dogged him among female voters since 2016, when a bombshell report by the Washington Post included footage of him bragging about sexual assault. In the 2020 election, exit polls showed that 57 percent of women voted for Biden, while 42 percent voted for Trump. A 2017 CNN poll also found that 61 percent of respondents believed sexual misconduct allegations against Trump.

The Carroll case has compounded the controversies surrounding Trumps 2024 candidacy, giving ammunition to his opponents who have suggested he has too much baggage to run successfully.

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