NY Judge Denies Trump’s Mistrial Bid In Carroll Lawsuit

In the pending lawsuit by writer E. Jean Carroll, a New York federal judge denied President Donald Trump’s request for a mistrial. Carroll claims Trump assaulted her in a Manhattan department store during the 1990s. Just hours before Carroll’s second day of cross-examination on Monday, Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina submitted an 18-page motion alleging that U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan had made “pervasive unfair and prejudicial rulings” against his client.

Tacopina requested Kaplan to “correct the record for each and every instance in which the Court has mischaracterized the facts of this case to the jury” and provide Trump’s counsel with “greater latitude” to cross-examine Carroll in the absence of a mistrial finding. In addition, the attorney argued that Kaplan’s “one-sided rulings” displayed “a deeper leaning towards one party over another,” with comments that demonstrated “favoritism.” However, Kaplan denied the request, and the trial proceeded with Carroll’s testimony.

During her testimony last week, Carroll told the jury, “I’m here because Trump raped me.” She alleges the assault occurred in 1995 or 1996 at a Bergdorf Goodman store in New York City. According to the lawsuit, Trump “seized” Carroll, “forced her up against a dressing room wall, pinned her in place with his shoulder, and raped her.” Carroll maintains that Trump lied and damaged her reputation after she came forward with her allegations in 2019, and she is now “trying to get her life back.”

Throughout the trial, Trump has consistently denied Carroll’s claims, most recently on his Truth Social social media platform. In his mistrial motion, Tacopina objected to Kaplan’s decision, which barred him from questioning Carroll about her lack of effort in obtaining security camera footage from Bergdorf Goodman. Tacopina argued that her failure to seek such footage is circumstantial evidence that her accusation is false.

Trump’s legal battles continue with several lawsuits, including the criminal indictment obtained last month by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, charging him with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to alleged hush money payments before the 2016 presidential election. Trump entered a not-guilty plea in response to the charges.

Despite the legal issues surrounding Trump, his supporters remain steadfast. Moreover, recent polls indicate that he continues to hold a commanding lead in the primary contest for the Republican presidential nomination for the 2024 election.