During the ongoing defamation trial in New York City, Former President Donald Trump abruptly stormed out of the courtroom on Friday, January 26, 2024.
His exit occurred during the closing arguments presented by E. Jean Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan.
Trump, facing a legal battle with Carroll over her accusations of sexual assault dating back to the 1990s, had his departure documented in the court record by Judge Lewis Kaplan.
The trial’s focus was on the damages owed by Trump to Carroll for his defamatory statements, which denied her assault allegations.
In seeking damages, Carroll’s legal team argued for at least $12 million in compensatory damages, with an additional request for punitive damages, the amount of which was unspecified. This request was in contrast to the defense’s argument, which posited that Carroll’s career, already in decline, had gained attention and financial benefit from her accusations against Trump.
Previously, a jury found Trump liable for defaming Carroll after she detailed an alleged sexual assault in a department store in the 1990s. In the current proceedings, jurors were instructed to acknowledge the prior trial’s conclusion that Trump sexually abused Carroll, though it did not classify the incident as rape under New York law.
The trial was marked by tense moments. Judge Kaplan earlier had warned Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, about the potential for detention due to attempts to introduce unrelated social media posts attacking Carroll.
Additionally, Trump’s audible reactions during witness testimonies led to multiple reprimands from the judge.
Trump’s departure from the courtroom, notably, occurred after Carroll’s attorney referenced his response to the verdict in Carroll’s first case against him. He returned when his own attorney commenced the closing argument. Judge Kaplan twice objected to the defense’s assertions, which denied the assault and highlighted inconsistencies in Carroll’s account.
Following the trial, Trump, pursuing reelection in 2024, criticized the legal system as “Broken and Unfair!” in a statement on his social media platform.
This reaction came in response to the jury’s decision to award Carroll $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages after less than three hours of deliberation.
