Former US President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower for Manhattan federal court docket for the second defamation trial towards him, in New York City on January 22, 2024.
Charly Triballeau | AFP | Getty Images
The sex assault defamation trial of former President Donald Trump in New York was postponed Monday when a juror referred to as in sick.
Trump’s legal professional Alina Habba advised Judge Lewis Kaplan that she was feeling feverish and that a minimum of certainly one of her dad and mom had examined optimistic for COVID-19. Habba examined adverse for the virus Monday morning, as did her co-counsel within the case, Michael Madaio.
Kaplan referred to as off the scheduled day of testimony after Trump and the plaintiff within the civil case, E. Jean Carroll, had each arrived at U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
Trump, 77, and the 80-year-old Carroll had been within the courtroom when Kaplan stated the trial can be postponed till Tuesday on the earliest. The choose then introduced within the remaining jurors to elucidate the delay.
After the jurors had been excused, Habba advised Kaplan that she needed to name Trump as a witness on Wednesday.
“Tomorrow is the New Hampshire main, and I ask that his testimony be Wednesday,” Habba stated.
Trump is the Republican frontrunner in that presidential main, and within the total GOP nomination contest, with solely former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley remaining as a severe contender after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race Sunday.
Carroll’s lawyer Robert Kaplan, who isn’t associated to the choose, objected to delaying the trial past Tuesday.
“We want to get this trial over,” stated Roberta Kaplan. “I feel we must always end tomorrow, Judge Kaplan.”
E. Jean Carroll (C) arrives for her civil defamation trial towards former US President Donald Trump at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City on January 22, 2024.
Angela Weiss | Afp | Getty Images
The choose replied, “I’m not going to determine proper now.”
“Circumstances might find yourself with you getting what you requested for, or possibly not,” he added.
The trial, which started final week, is being held to find out how a lot Trump should pay Carroll for defaming her in denying her accusation that he raped her in a New York division retailer within the mid-Nineteen Nineties.
Trump, was president on the time he first defamed Carroll in 2019.
Another jury in the identical court docket final 12 months discovered Trump accountable for sexually abusing Carroll within the assault, and for defaming her in late 2022 when he reiterated his denial of her allegations. That jury ordered him to pay $5 million to her in that case.
Trump is interesting that verdict.