On January 26, 2024, during a defamation trial in New York City, New York, ex-President Donald Trump unexpectedly left the courtroom in the middle of E. Jean Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan’s closing statements.
Trump has been entangled in a legal dispute with Carroll regarding her allegations of sexual assault from the 1990s. Judge Lewis Kaplan, noted Trump’s sudden exit in the court records.
The central issue of the trial was focused on the financial compensation Trump owed to Carroll due to his defamatory remarks that denied her sexual assault allegations.
Carroll’s legal representation pushed for a minimum of $12 million in compensatory damages plus additional punitive damages. The amount for the latter was not specified. This was in stark contrast to the defense’s argument that Carroll’s already declining career had received publicity and financial gain due to her claims against Trump.
Prior to this, a jury had determined Trump liable for defaming Carroll when she shared details of an alleged sexual assault in a department store during the 1990s. In the current trial, jurors were directed to accept the previous trial’s conclusion that Trump had sexually abused Carroll, although the incident was not classified as rape under New York law.
There were several tense moments during the trial. Judge Kaplan had previously warned Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, of potential detention due to attempts to introduce unrelated social media posts that attacked Carroll.
The judge had to caution Trump multiple times due to his audible reactions during witness testimonies. Trump’s exit from the courtroom was notably triggered after Carroll’s attorney mentioned his response to the verdict in the first case against him. He returned as his own lawyer started the closing argument. Judge Kaplan objected twice to the defense’s claims, which denied the assault and pointed out inconsistencies in Carroll’s narrative.
Trump, who is seeking reelection in 2024, criticized the legal system as “Broken and Unfair!” on his social media platform after the trial.
His emotional response was to the jury’s verdict of awarding Carroll $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages following less than three hours of deliberation.