The former president of the United States, Donald Trump, advanced this Thursday with the appeal of the sentence that on Tuesday found him guilty of sexual abuse and defamation of journalist E. Jean Carroll.
The intent to appeal was filed this Thursday in Manhattan federal court, where Judge Lewis A. Kaplan presided over the trial, the first step in a three-day process for the civil lawsuit filed against Trump by columnist E. Jean. Carroll. – panel of judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
The notice was signed by Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, who said after Tuesday’s verdict that he believed there were several strong reasons to appeal.
A jury found Donald Trump responsible for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll in 1996, but rejected the rape allegations.
According to the jury’s verdict, Trump was still obligated to pay five million dollars (about 4.5 million euros) to Carroll, who said he had taken the case to court “to clear his name and get his life back” before to dedicate the sentence to “all the women who have suffered”.
In response to the Associated Press (AP), Trump’s lawyer said: “Judge Kaplan has already been ousted once in Carroll v. Trump. We’re sure it will be twice after the appeal is heard.”
The lawyer was referring to Kaplan’s rejection of an attempt to replace the United States with Trump as a defendant in an earlier defamation suit brought by Carroll over statements Trump made while he was president. The Second Circuit later ruled that Trump was a government employee in regards to the lawsuit.
Carroll’s defense did not immediately respond to AP’s request for a reaction.
Carroll, one of more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or harassment, came forward in 2019 alleging that the Republican mogul raped her in 1996 in the locker room of a Manhattan store.
Trump, 76, opted out of the civil lawsuit but said he never met Carroll, 79, at the store and did not know her.
The trial saw allegations of inappropriate behavior by Trump with women and the playing of the “Access Hollywood” video, in which Trump bragged about grabbing women’s genitals without asking permission.
Already this Wednesday, in a meeting with citizens, organized by the North American news channel CNN, the Republican ridiculed the complainant, guaranteeing that the sentence was bought, without delving into the accusation.
“I swear on my children that I have no idea who this woman is. It is a false and made up story,” he said.
Source: TSF
