Judge in E Jean Carroll case threatens to exclude Trump from court
Victoria Bekiempis
Judge Lewis Kaplan has warned Donald Trump that his right to attend court in the defamation trial under way in New York, where the former president is the defendant in a civil case brought by writer E Jean Carroll, can be forfeited if he continues to disrupt proceedings.
Carroll has been testifying this morning and Trump, sitting with his lawyer, has been grumbling about the case, loudly enough that the jury can probably hear his remarks, Carroll’s legal team has said.
The judge had already warned Trump to pipe down. Just before the court broke for lunch, Carroll’s team complained to Judge Kaplan again. He said: “Mr Trump has the right to be present here – that right can be forfeited and it can be forfeited if he is disruptive which is what has been reported to me and if he disregards court orders.”
Addressing Trump, the judge said: “Mr Trump, I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial … I understand you are probably very eager for me to do that.”
Trump responded.
“I would love it, I would love it,” he said and gestured.
The judge replied: “I know you would, you just can’t control yourself in this circumstance apparently.”
Shawn Crowley, one of Carroll’s lawyers, had said to the judge: “The defendant has been making statements again [that] we can hear at counsel table.”
She noted that some jurors are seated even closer to Trump than she is.
“He said it is a ‘witch-hunt,’ it really is a ‘con-job’,” Crowley told the judge.
E Jean Carroll’s testimony in the Donald Trump defamation trial prompted outbursts from the former president in court. Here’s a full picture of the day’s proceedings.
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Trump continued to lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, enjoying a 16-point lead in New Hampshire, per a major new poll. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley came in second, and Florida Ron DeSantis was a distant third, days before the state’s primary. DeSantis, said the US was “not a racist country”, echoing a controversial claim by Haley.
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A top aide for president Joe Biden called former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson to apologize. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients apologized a mocking statement released by the Democratic National Committee regarding Hutchinson’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
– Guardian staff
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Donald Trump’s lead attorney in the case, Alina Habba, tried to discredit Carroll by noting that the gun she has kept for protection isn’t registered.
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Habba also inquired about Carroll’s deletion of threatening texts and emails. “So as [you] sit here today, I have no way of knowing how many death threats you have received, nor do the police?” Habba asked.
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Carroll is suing Trump over his June 2019 denials of her rape claim against him, maintaining that Trump’s denials smeared her reputation, sparking online abuse and serious threats. This trial will determine damages.
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Much of E Jean Carroll’s testimony detailed Donald Trump’s continued statements about her after he was found liable of sexual abuse and defamation. This relates to jurors’ decision on damages, as they must determine a sum that would deter him from making similar statements.
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Her attorney played a portion of Trump’s CNN town hall, which took place one day after Carroll won her first trial. Asked about the verdict, Trump said: “And I swear and I’ve never done that, and I swear to – I have no idea who the hell – she’s a whack job.”
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“He’s doing it to a large crowd and drawing laughs about sexual assault,” Carroll noted.
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When asked how this made her feel, Carroll choked up.
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“I felt worthless,” she said.
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Judge Lewis Kaplan has warned Donald Trump that his right to attend court in the defamation trial under way in New York, where the former president is the defendant in a civil case brought by writer E Jean Carroll, can be forfeited if he continues to disrupt proceedings.
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Carroll has been testifying this morning and Trump, sitting with his lawyer, has been grumbling about the case, loudly enough that the jury can probably hear his remarks, Carroll’s legal team has said.
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The judge had already warned Trump to pipe down. Just before the court broke for lunch, Carroll’s team complained to Judge Kaplan again. He said: “Mr Trump has the right to be present here – that right can be forfeited and it can be forfeited if he is disruptive which is what has been reported to me and if he disregards court orders.”
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Addressing Trump, the judge said: “Mr Trump, I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial … I understand you are probably very eager for me to do that.”
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Trump responded.
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“I would love it, I would love it,” he said and gestured.
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The judge replied: “I know you would, you just can’t control yourself in this circumstance apparently.”
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Shawn Crowley, one of Carroll’s lawyers, had said to the judge: “The defendant has been making statements again [that] we can hear at counsel table.”
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She noted that some jurors are seated even closer to Trump than she is.
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“He said it is a ‘witch-hunt,’ it really is a ‘con-job’,” Crowley told the judge.
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