New York Jury Finds Trump Liable for ‘Abuse’, Not Rape – Awards $5 Million in Damages

Breitbart: A jury in New York found former President Donald Trump liable Tuesday for sexual abuse and battery of writer E. Jean Carroll three decades ago, though not liable for rape, and awarded $5 million in civil damages against him.

The jury also found Trump defamed Ms. Carroll in his reactions to her lawsuit, which was encouraged by anti-Trump lawyer George Conway and backed by Democrat mega-donor Reid Hoffman, an associate of the late convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.

The jury reached its decision after a few hours of deliberations, after a trial in which U.S. Judge Lewis Kaplan, a Bill Clinton appointee, allowed character evidence, including the infamous Access Hollywood tape, to be used.

A NY Jury found President Trump NOT GUILTY of raping E Jean Caroll but found Trump GUILTY of defaming her. I’m sorry but if someone falsely accuses you of rape I think you have a right to trash them pretty thoroughly. False rape allegations should come with a huge jail sentence!

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) May 9, 2023

Trump decided not to testify in his own defense. Instead, video of his deposition in the case was played, in which he said he did not recall Ms. Carroll and that he would not have been attracted to her (or her lawyer).

Carroll had trouble recalling the date on which the alleged sexual abuse took place — even the year — but the judge controversially allowed other women to testify that they had similar experiences with Trump.

Typically, such evidence of character — purporting to prove that a defendant committed a specific act based on an alleged propensity to commit similar acts — is inadmissible except in a few very specific circumstances.

So they say Trump is guilty of forcibly touching E. Jean Carroll even though she has no date, time, or idea when it happened.

I fear for the young men growing up in this country now.

You can be found guilty of sexual abuse just because someone feels like making a fake…

— Lavern Spicer 🇺🇸 (@lavern_spicer) May 9, 2023

Because the case was not a criminal case, the plaintiff’s legal team was allowed to comment negatively on Trump’s refusal to testify, and the jury was allowed to draw negative inferences from it.

Former President Trump reacted on Truth Social, his social media platform, saying: “I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE – A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!”

Tara Reade, a former Capitol Hill staffer who has accused President Joe Biden of sexual assault during his days in the Senate in the early 1990s, was recently invited to testify before Congress about her claims.

Trump is planning to appeal the jury’s decision.

Carroll couldn’t remember what happened or when it happened, so the jury could not find Trump guilty of rape. But Carroll remembered enough for the jury to convict on battery.

Yup. New York logic. New York justice.

Escape from New York, folks. pic.twitter.com/0fCM9AM3Qb

— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) May 9, 2023

Update:
The Trump campaign for president issued the following statement Tuesday:

The Democratic Party’s never-ending witch-hunt of President Trump hit a new low today. In jurisdictions wholly controlled by the Democratic Party our nation’s justice system is now compromised by extremist left-wing politics. We have allowed false and totally made-up claims from troubled individuals to interfere with our elections, doing great damage.

Make no mistake, this entire bogus case is a political endeavor targeting President Trump because he is now an overwhelming front-runner to be once again elected President of the United States.

The continued abuse of our great Constitution for political ends is disgusting and cannot be tolerated. Our nation is in serious trouble when claims lacking any evidence or proof or eyewitnesses can invade our courts to score political points.

Sadly, for the enemies of American freedom and democracy, President Trump will never stop fighting for the American people, no matter what the radical Democrats dream up next. This case will be appealed, and we will ultimately win.