Judge Denies Motion for Mistrial in E. Jean Carroll’s Civil Battery and Defamation Lawsuit Against Donald Trump

A federal judge in New York has denied a motion by Donald Trump’s lawyers to declare a mistrial in the civil battery and defamation lawsuit filed against the former president by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. The denial was made on Monday shortly after Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, submitted an 18-page letter accusing U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan of making “pervasive unfair and prejudicial rulings.”

On Monday, Trump’s defense lawyer continued his cross-examination of Carroll in the trial over her rape allegation against Trump, asking her about old Facebook posts where she said she was a “massive” fan of the former president’s TV show “The Apprentice.” Carroll, whose lawsuit alleges Trump raped her in a New York City department store in the mid-1990s and defamed her by calling her claims a “hoax,” acknowledged praising the reality show on Facebook back in 2012, when it was still on the air.

Carroll expressed her appreciation for the show in her testimony, saying, “I had never seen such a witty competition on TV, and it was about something worthwhile, competing.” She added that while she enjoyed the contestants and the competition, she was not a fan of Trump himself.

Tacopina had requested that either a mistrial be declared or that the court “correct the record” for every instance that evidence was “mischaracterized” to the New York jury. He also requested greater opportunity to cross-examine Carroll and her witnesses.

The judge denied the motion, ruling that the evidence presented was fair and that the jury should be allowed to make its own decision. The trial is ongoing and a verdict is expected in the coming weeks.