Judge Rules Trump's Lawyers Can't Reference Rape Claims in Upcoming Defamation Trial

The decision comes ahead of a trial set for January 16, where E. Jean Carroll is seeking additional damages from former President Trump for defamation.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan has ruled that former President Donald Trump's lawyers cannot present arguments related to E. Jean Carroll's rape claims in the upcoming defamation trial.
Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages for defamation and battery in May 2023, but the jury found there was not sufficient evidence to convict Trump of rape.
The upcoming trial, set for January 16, will consider additional damages for Carroll regarding Trump's remarks after last year's verdict and from 2019, following Carroll's public accusations.
Carroll is seeking $10 million in compensatory damages and potentially more in undefined punitive damages.
Trump's lawyers had requested a delay for the trial, but this was denied by a federal appeals court.