Former US president Trump goes on trial, accused of rape

Donald Trump has gone on trial, the place the author E Jean Carroll is accusing the previous US president in a civil lawsuit of raping her in a division retailer dressing room within the mid-Nineteen Nineties.

Jury choice started on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court docket within the former Elle journal recommendation columnist’s case, the place Carroll can be accusing Trump of defamation.

Trump, 76, has denied raping Carroll, 79.

He referred to as her declare a “hoax” and “complete Scam” in a October 2022 publish on his Truth Social platform. Trump additionally mentioned she made up the encounter to advertise her memoir and declared that she was “not my type!”

The trial is predicted to final one to 2 weeks.

It is a part of a slew of lawsuits and investigations dealing with Trump, the Republican front-runner within the 2024 presidential race, and might be politically damaging as witnesses talk about his alleged sexual misconduct, all of which he denies.

The trial started the identical day President Joe Biden, a Democrat, mentioned he would search a second White House time period.

Trump was not within the courthouse and never required to attend the trial, and attorneys have indicated he seemingly won’t testify in his defence. Carroll’s attorneys additionally don’t plan to name Trump as a witness.

Carroll is looking for unspecified damages for what she calls vital ache and struggling, lasting psychological hurt, and invasion of privateness.

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Warning in opposition to incitement to violence

Before juror questioning started, US District Judge Lewis Kaplan instructed Trump’s and Carroll’s attorneys to inform their purchasers and witnesses to not make statements that might “incite violence or civil unrest.”

Kaplan can be protecting jurors nameless from the general public, together with the attorneys, to protect them from potential harassment by Trump supporters.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Carroll and in private phrases, as soon as calling her mentally ailing, since she first publicly accused him of rape in June 2019.

Carroll mentioned her encounter with Trump on the Bergdorf Goodman retailer occurred in late 1995 or early 1996.

She mentioned Trump acknowledged her, calling her “that advice lady,” and requested for assist in shopping for a present for one more lady.

Carroll mentioned Trump then “manoeuvred” her right into a dressing room the place he shut the door, compelled her in opposition to a wall, pulled down her tights and penetrated her. She mentioned she broke free after two to a few minutes.

Trump’s attorneys might attempt to undermine Carroll’s credibility by noting that she didn’t name the police, remained publicly silent for greater than 20 years, and can’t bear in mind the date and even the month of the alleged assault.

Carroll has mentioned the #MeToo motion impressed her to come back ahead.

Jurors are additionally anticipated to listen to the notorious 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape the place Trump made graphic, vulgar feedback about girls.

More instances

Other authorized issues Trump faces embody Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s legal expenses over hush cash funds to a porn star.

Trump pleaded not responsible to these expenses on April 4 at a New York state courthouse, a three-minute stroll from Tuesday’s trial.

The former president additionally faces civil fraud expenses by New York Attorney General Letitia James into his namesake firm.

Trump additionally faces legal probes into interference in Georgia’s 2020 presidential race and into categorized authorities paperwork recovered at his Mar-a-Lago residence, plus inquiries into his position within the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol.

In all of those instances, Trump has denied wrongdoing.

Carroll can be suing Trump for defamation after he first denied her rape declare in June 2019, when he was nonetheless president. That case stays pending earlier than Kaplan.

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Source: Reuters