Former President Donald Trump's appeal in a defamation case against him by E. Jean Carroll has been expedited by a federal appeals court.
The ruling will allow the case to move forward in January over Carroll's allegations against the former president.
JUST IN: Appeals court expedites Trump appeal in E. Jean Carroll case https://t.co/ocl71UKPNi pic.twitter.com/8bxZPbylsa
— The Hill (@thehill) September 14, 2023
"In Tuesday’s ruling, the panel also declined the former president’s request to pause the case from moving ahead until the appeals court issues its decision," the Hill reported.
"A federal judge previously determined that Trump could not assert absolute presidential immunity in the case, a major blow to his defense. It is one of two lawsuits Carroll has brought against the former president," it continued.
Trump loses bid to delay E. Jean Carroll rape-defame case, but granted expedited appeal https://t.co/DTzW7Dr56d pic.twitter.com/h18FHv5LL1
— political forum (@PoliticalForumO) September 14, 2023
"The order came a week after a federal district court judge ruled that Trump is civilly liable for defamatory statements he made about Carrol in 2019 when she first went public with her allegations of having been raped by him. The ruling means the upcoming trial will solely deal with the question of how much Trump should pay Carroll in monetary damages," CNBC reported.
Carroll's lawyer Robbie Kaplan in a statement said, "We look forward both to the January 15 trial on damages and to making our arguments to the Second Circuit that Donald Trump waived presidential immunity."
Trump can't delay second E. Jean Carroll case, but his appeal is sped uphttps://t.co/rc6hTyTwFF
— MSN (@MSN) September 13, 2023
"Carroll is seeking at least $10 million in damages over Trump's June 2019 denial that he raped her in a midtown Manhattan department store dressing room in the mid-1990s," Reuters reported.
"Kaplan ruled on Sept. 6 that Trump's denial was defamatory, leaving only the question of damages for a jury," it continued.
The latest move will allow Trump to at least conclude the case ahead of the first primary votes in early 2024, though any loss could add to negative criticism against the former president over the case.
In addition to the case involving Carroll, Trump still faces upcoming trials in indictments in Florida, Washington and Georgia that further attempt to derail his comeback plans for the White House.
Trump's poll numbers have remained strong so far but there's still a lot that could happen between now and the 2024 primaries.
