In a momentous milestone, novelist E. Jean Carroll’s request to modify her defamation case against former President Donald Trump was granted by federal judge Lewis Kaplan. Carroll is now permitted to use Trump’s remarks at a CNN town hall last month. Carroll’s complaint, which now calls for a minimum of $10 million in damages, was updated after Trump attempted to block Carroll’s attempt to do so.
Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan (not related to the judge), expressed happiness with the ruling and said they look forward to moving on quickly with the case’s remaining claims. On the other hand, Carroll shouldn’t be allowed to retrospectively alter her legal theory to escape the repercussions of a negative decision against her, according to Alina Habba, a lawyer for Trump.
Shortly after Trump made derogatory statements about Carroll during a live CNN town hall, Carroll moved to alter her complaint. Trump denied knowing Carroll and questioned the veracity of her claims, calling them a hoax. This town hall was held the day after Carroll was awarded $5 million in a separate legal lawsuit where it was determined that Trump was responsible for sexual assault and slander against her.
The writer Carroll claims that Trump defamed her when she came forth with her charges in 2019 and raped her in a department shop in the middle of the 1990s. She first sued Trump for defamation in civil court in 2019, and then in 2022 she sued him again, this time charging him with violence.
Trump’s remarks during the CNN town hall were the basis for the most recent attempt to modify the original case, and Carroll’s legal team claimed that the situation had changed as a result. It is important to remember that Trump has continuously rejected Carroll’s allegations of rape and has taken steps to appeal the judgment in the second civil case.
Carroll’s ability to modify her complaint is now permitted by the court, which is even another blow for Trump. Due to the high-profile character of the people involved and the wider consequences for defamation and sexual assault allegations, the case is sure to draw a lot of attention as it develops.
