Former President Donald Trump faces another court case this week, this time centering on allegations that he raped the writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s, a claim he’s denied. The case renews the scrutiny on more than 20 sexual misconduct allegations that have been brought against Trump, and adds to the legal troubles he’s fielding on everything from allegedly falsifying business records to interfering in the presidential election.
The lawsuit filed by Carroll is a civil one, meaning Trump would have to pay damages if a jury agrees with her claims, but it doesn’t put him at risk of jail time. Carroll has also asked for Trump to retract the denials he’s made of the rape allegation if she wins the case.
The two issues Carroll has raised in the suit include a claim of battery, citing psychological harms she’s experienced because of Trump’s alleged sexual assault, and a claim of defamation from the comments he’s made about her manufacturing the allegation. A panel of anonymous jurors will have to decide if he’s liable in both instances, effectively determining if he should be held accountable for the rape allegation Carroll has made.
On Tuesday, lawyers will begin jury selection in the federal court at the Southern District of New York. Trump is not required to testify in the trial — which is expected to take place over the next two weeks — and it’s unclear at this point if he will choose to do so. Carroll is expected to take the stand and further highlight his problematic treatment of women ahead of the 2024 election.
A win for Carroll in this case could ultimately send a strong message about Trump’s history of alleged sexual assault and highlight the impact of a new New York law, which allows survivors to pursue a lawsuit involving such allegations years after an incident occurred.
For survivors of sexual assault, any measure of accountability for public figures can have a major impact. “It’s really significant for targets of…
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