Choose Slams Trump’s ‘Unpersuasive’ Effort To Delay E. Jean Carroll Trial

A federal decide issued a scathing 17-page opinion on Friday shutting down former President Donald Trump’s newest efforts to delay trial in author E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case towards him.

The ruling from U.S. District Choose Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan got here in response to a request from Trump to delay trial whereas he appeals an earlier ruling within the case.

That enchantment seeks to overturn Kaplan’s resolution on June 29 that Trump waived presidential immunity as a protection in Carroll’s lawsuit. However on Friday, Kaplan known as that enchantment “frivolous” and refused to vary the scheduled trial date of Jan. 15, 2024.

The arguments in Trump’s request are “unpersuasive” and “repeat nearly verbatim” these he made in beforehand denied requests to delay the trial, Kaplan wrote. Moreover, Kaplan continued, the request “fails on every criterion” crucial to remain the trial, together with offering proof that his enchantment has any probability of success and that shifting ahead with the case on schedule would trigger him irreparable hurt.

The decide famous that Trump waited a number of years to assert presidential immunity within the lawsuit, which Carroll first filed in 2019.

“By litigating this case for over three years earlier than even elevating his presidential immunity protection ― and ready one other seven months between first elevating his immunity protection and shifting to remain this case on that foundation ― Mr. Trump successfully has forfeited any declare to irreparable hurt within the absence of a keep,” Kaplan wrote.

Trump’s “lack of that protection was the product of his personal resolution to not elevate it till the tail finish of this litigation,” Kaplan added. “In different phrases, any purported hurt ensuing from his having to face trial regardless of a possible declare to immunity could be solely of his personal doing.”

Nor did Trump “deal with any of this Court docket’s reasoning in rejecting his argument” or present “a single purpose for the Court docket to search out that there’s any chance that he’ll succeed on enchantment,” Kaplan mentioned.

Carroll’s defamation lawsuit facilities on her claims that Trump defamed her when he dismissed her rape allegations, implied she made up the assault to promote a e book, and mentioned she wasn’t his “sort.”

This lawsuit is separate from the one which went to trial this spring, wherein a Manhattan jury discovered that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a division retailer dressing room within the Nineties. The courtroom awarded $5 million in damages.

Earlier this month, Kaplan dismissed Trump’s defamation countersuit towards Carroll, saying she was inside her rights to say on CNN that Trump raped her.