E. Jean Carroll’s allegation that Donald Trump raped her was not a “he said, she said” dispute, a lawyer representing the writer told a jury Tuesday at the start of a civil trial over the conduct of the former president of the United States almost three decades ago.
Shawn Crowley, representing the former Elle magazine columnist, said during his opening statement that Trump “pushed Ms. Carroll up against the wall” and “pressed his lips against hers,” an account other witnesses are willing to dispute. verify.
“This is not a ‘he said, she said’ case,” Crowley argued in Manhattan federal court. Crowley told jurors they would also hear testimony from two other women who say Trump assaulted them, something the former president denies.
Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, replied in his opening statement that the evidence will show that the former US president did not attack Carroll.
Tacopina also asked jurors to put aside any opinions they may have about Trump, which has long inspired strong reactions from supporters and critics across the political spectrum. “You can hate Donald Trump. He’s fine,” she noted.
Crowley and Tacopina spoke after U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan received nine jurors who will decide whether Trump raped Carroll in a fitting room at a Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s, and smeared her by denying there was any. happened.
Trump, 76, has denied raping Carroll, 79. He called his claim a “hoax” and an “outright scam” in an October 2022 post on his Truth Social platform. The former president said Carroll made up the meeting to promote his memories, adding: “He’s not my type!”
Trump is not required to attend the trial. His lawyers have said he may not appear, citing the likelihood of security concerns and traffic delays. Carroll’s lawyers have said they do not plan to call Trump to appear as a witness.
If Trump testifies, he would likely face aggressive cross-examination. Trump has repeatedly attacked Carroll in personal terms since she first publicly accused him of rape in 2019. The politician has claimed that he is mentally ill.
District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing the case, has decided to keep the jurors anonymous, including to lawyers, to protect them from potential harassment by Trump supporters.
The trial could last between one and two weeks.
Trump, the Republican Party frontrunner for the 2024 presidential election, is facing a series of lawsuits and investigations.
Other accusers could testify
Carroll said his meeting with Trump at the Bergdorf Goodman store occurred in late 1995 or early 1996.
Trump recognized her, calling her “that advice lady,” and asked for her help buying a gift for another woman, she added.
Carroll said Trump “took” her into a dressing room where he locked the door, forced her against the wall, pulled down her stockings and entered her, but released himself after two or three minutes.
Trump’s lawyers could try to undermine Carroll’s credibility by pointing out that he did not call the police and was publicly silent for more than two decades.
Carroll has said that the “Me Too” movement inspired her to come forward.
Two women he said he trusted after the attack are expected to testify, writer Lisa Birnbach and former news anchor Carol Martin.
Carroll’s witness list also includes two other women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, which the former president denies.
Carroll’s lawyers could use her testimony to establish a pattern of Trump’s alleged mistreatment of women.
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