Donald Trump is a no-show as his rape accuser E. Jean Carroll arrives for trial
The trial between Donald Trump and his rape accuser begins today in New York – the latest in a slew of lawsuits being fought by the former president.
Journalist E. Jean Carroll, pictured arriving at court this morning, claims Trump forced himself on her in the dressing room of Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s.
She sued him for assault in a civil case in New York federal court, whose jury selection begins today.
Trump, who failed to show up this morning, has denied the claims, saying Carroll made them to boost sales of her 2019 memoir.
The case is expected to last at least a week and it is unclear if the former president will ever appear to testify under oath.
Jury selection begins today in the trial between author E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump
Carroll claims Trump raped her in a department store locker room in the mid-90s and is suing him for battery use
Protesters are pictured outside the Manhattan Federal Court on Tuesday
Trump’s lawyers have said he “wants to show up,” but is concerned about the security and traffic problems this would create.
Earlier this month, Trump brought Lower Manhattan to a standstill when he was indicted on separate criminal charges for allegedly falsifying business records.
The case brought by Carroll was filed under a New York state law that gave adult victims of sexual assault one year to file civil suits after the statute of limitations expires.
Carroll, 79, a former advice columnist for Elle magazine, has said she kept quiet about her experience for decades, but spoke out after the 76-year-old Trump became president.
She alleges that “playful banter took a dark turn” when he “forced her against a locker room wall, shoulder-pressed her and raped her,” according to the indictment.
After a chance meeting at Bergdorf’s, Carroll claims Trump offered to buy her lingerie but then followed her into the dressing room.
The complaint reads: “Trump lunged at Carroll, pushed her against the wall, hit her head pretty hard and put his mouth on her lips.
Carroll pushed him back. Utterly shocked by Trump’s unexpected attack, Carroll burst into awkward laughter. She could barely process the madness of the situation. She also hoped, at least at first, that laughter would hurt his ego and make him withdraw.’
Instead, he reportedly “grabbed both of her arms” and pinned her against the wall as he pulled down her tights and reportedly forced himself on her.
Carroll, 79, a former advice columnist for Elle magazine, has said she kept quiet about her experience for decades, but spoke out after Trump, 76, became president
Bergdorf Goodman (above) is just a block from Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue
Donald Trump in 1987 with his first wife, Ivana, rape prosecutor E. Jean Carroll and Carroll’s then-husband
Trump was said to have been married to Marla Maples at the time of the alleged rape. Maples gave birth to daughter Tiffany (above) in 1993
Carroll filed a separate defamation lawsuit against Trump over statements he made on the matter while he was president.
His social media posts include calling the case a “complete scam” and “totally untrue.”
In one post, he said, “While I’m not supposed to say it, I do. This woman is not my type.’
Judge Lewis Kaplan has ruled that the jury will be allowed to view the infamous Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump bragged about grabbing women by their genitals to Billy Bush in 2005.
The jury will also hear from two other women who allege Trump sexually assaulted them and two of Carroll’s friends she supposedly told about the incident.
The jurors must be anonymous to protect them from media attention and harassment by Trump supporters, the judge ruled.
Court documents that have already been made public show that in an affidavit, Trump falsely identified Carroll as his ex-wife Marla Maples after he was shown a photo of the journalist.
It has also been revealed that Carroll’s lawsuit is being funded in part by billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who has sharply criticized Trump.
The defamation case has been postponed pending a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which is considering whether Trump made the remarks as part of his job as president, meaning they would be protected.
Trump also faces an investigation by Georgia prosecutors into whether he interfered in the 2020 election.
A special prosecutor is investigating whether he illegally withheld classified documents after leaving the White House and the case of falsifying business documents in New York is expected to go to trial early next year.
Judge Lewis Kaplan has ruled that the jury can view the infamous Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump bragged about grabbing women by their genitals to Billy Bush in 2005
Lisa Birnbach (left), the best-selling author of The Official Preppy Handbook, and former WCBS television anchor Carol Martin (right) corroborated Carroll’s story in a video testimonial
In March, lawyers for Carroll secretly conducted a test trial at a Manhattan hotel to determine how their upcoming civil case will turn out with ordinary New Yorkers, DailyMail.com previously revealed.
After six hours of testimony, the 27 mock jurors were divided into three groups for deliberations.
Two out of three found Trump guilty.
The day-long spectacle included videotaped testimonies from both Trump and Carroll, as well as two friends she spoke to in the immediate aftermath of the alleged rape, and two other women who allege Trump also sexually assaulted them.
The lawyers also presented text messages and emails that Trump’s defense team is expected to present at trial to try to undermine Carroll’s credibility.
“That was the whole point of this,” a person familiar with the proceedings told DailyMail.com. “They were trying to find out if Mrs. Carroll has a solid case and if she will win in civil court.”