Politics

Judge denies Trump’s bid for mistrialĀ in E. Jean Carroll rape lawsuit

Former President Donald Trumpā€™s attorney requested a mistrial Monday in E. Jean Carrollā€™s civil rape case against the ex-commander-in-chief ā€“ citing ā€œpervasive unfair and prejudicial rulšŸ·ingsā€ by the Manhaą½§ttan federal court judge.

But Manhattan federal Judge Lewis Kaplan denied the motion šŸ§øbefore the jury was brougź¦¬ht into the courtroom Monday morning. The judge did not explain his decision.

Trump attorney Joe Tacopina had said in the letter filed in Manhattan federal court earlier Monday that he would ask Kaplan to ā€œcorź¦¦rect the record for each and every instance in which the Court has mischaracterized the facts of this case to the juryā€ or provide him greater leeway in cross-examining Carroll.

ā€œHere, despite the fact trial testimony has šŸ’–been underway for only two days, the proceedings are already replete with numerous examples of Defendantā€™s unfair treatment by the Court, most of which has been witnessed by the Jury,ā€ he wrote.

Cā­•arroll, 79, testified last week that Trump, 76, raped her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman department storšŸ“–e in midtown Manhattan, most likely in the spring of 1996.

She has alleged that he defašŸˆmed her when he denied hšŸŒ³er claim, said she wasnā€™t his type, and suggested she concocted the story to boost sales of her 2019 memoir.

The former president has denied any wrongdoing.

Former President Donald Trumpā€™s attorney Joe Tacopina requested a mistrial in E. Jean Carrollā€™s civil rape case against his client, citing ā€œpervasive unfair and prejudicial rulingsā€ by Manhattan federal Judge Lewis Kaplan. AFP via Getty Images

Carroź¦ll took the witness stand for the third time Monday, for a second day of cross-examination bšŸ°y Tacopina, who argued that he should have been allowed to explore why she did not pursue security footage from the store and why she did not go to the police after the alleged incident.

ā€œYou canā€™t beat up on ź§‹me bšŸ—¹ecause I didnā€™t scream,ā€ Carroll told him after insisting earlier that she was ā€œnot a screamer ā€” Iā€™m a fighter.ā€

E. Jean Carroll will take the stand Monday for a second day of cross-examination. ALEC TABAK
Carroll alleges that Trump raped her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman most likely in the spring of 1996.

In his mistrial request, Tacopina also complained that the judge shut down his questią¼’oning when he pushed šŸ·Carroll to explain why she did not scream.

Tacopina on Monday pressed Carroll about why she didn’t report the alleged attack to the police.

Carroll responded that women from her generationź¦Æ were not taught to report incidents like hers.

The fact that I never went to the police is not surprising from someone my age,” she said. “I would never call the police about something I was ashamed of.”

“I was ashamed about what happened,” she said. “I thought it was my fault.”

A rep for Carroll declined to comment to TšŸ”„he Post.