Trump ordered to pay 83.3 million for defamation of Jean Carroll

A Ny jury has sentenced Donald Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages for defaming writer Jean Carroll by denying in 2019 - when he was president - a sexual assault nearly 30 years ago in a luxury department store in the Big Apple. Carroll had asked for 24 million. This is the second civil conviction after one last May, when the tycoon was found liable for the same assault, as well as defamation, and forced to pay $5 million.

This is a much higher sum than expected, between 18.3 million in 'compensatory' damages (for emotional distress and damage to reputation and thus loss of earnings) and as much as 65 million in 'punitive' damages (as deterrence against further defamation).

The jury, consisting of seven men and two women, had to determine the amount of damages against the woman for defamatory public statements made by the tycoon in 2019, in which Trump denigrated the writer by dismissing rape allegations. During closing arguments, Carroll's lawyer had argued that the writer should be compensated with at least USD 24 million. In May 2023, he had already been convicted of rape and defamation: in that case, as mentioned, the sentence had been USD 5 million. Trump was not in court, however, having left the building around 4 p.m. local time: the former president was not required to be present in court.

The former president announced that he will appeal. "Absolutely ridiculous! I totally disagree with the verdicts, and I will appeal this entire witch hunt directed by Joe Biden and focused on me and the Republican Party. Our legal system is out of control and being used as a political weapon. They have taken away all our First Amendment rights. This is not America!" said Donald Trump on his social network Truth the verdict.