Attorneys for former President Donald Trump called on a judge on Thursday to cut the $5 million awarded to E. Jean Carroll after a federal jury last month found that the former president sexually abused her in the 1990s.
The jury said that Trump was liable for sexual abuse and defamation of Carroll. The jury did not find the former president liable for rape, but rather for abuse that injured Carroll. The case, which was civil, not criminal, found Trump liable for an attack, not “guilty.”
The jury granted $2 million on Carroll’s sexual abuse claim and $2.7 million for compensatory defamation damages. Trump’s attorneys alleged that the damages were excessive.
Trump has vowed to appeal the decision.
His lawyers on Thursday said the damages should be reduced to under $1 million, with no more than $400,000 for sex abuse, no more than $100,000 for defamation and $368,000 or less for efforts to improve her reputation.
If the judge does not accept the reduced damages, he should allow a new trial in the case, Trump’s attorneys argued.
E. Jean CarrollWriter seeks 'very substantial' damages from Donald Trump for comments during town hall
Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney, called the arguments from Trump’s lawyers frivolous, the Associated Press reported.
“This time, Trump will not be able to escape the consequences of his actions,” Kaplan said.
Carroll asked a court last month to impose new damages on Trump over his verbal attacks against her after the jury’s decision. Trump during a CNN town hall said Carroll was a “whack job” and called the trial a “rigged deal.”
Contributing: David Jackson, USA TODAY; Associated Press
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