Sorry Donald Trump, there’s no getting out of this one
It was just reported here and in most news outlets, that the New York federal jury just awarded a $85 million damage judgment against Mr. Donald John Trump for defamation of character and damages for the rape he committed against plaintiff E. Jean Carroll. $65 million of that judgment was for punitive damages. That is, the jury sent a strong message to Trump that his conduct was reprehensible and cannot be tolerated.
Trump‘s childish conduct in court today and throughout the trial did not help his cause before the jury. That can also be said of his attorney, Ms. Abra Cadabra, who was repeatedly admonished by the judge for her immature, amateurish, and repeatedly unlawyer-like actions throughout the trial. If there ever were a remake of the movie “My Cousin Vinny” Alina Habba could play the lead.
This money judgment against Trump isn’t the end of the matter, however. I am pretty sure that the judge is going to issue a permanent injunction against Trump from ever speaking ill of E. Jean Carroll online or in public. If he violates that injunction, he will be held in contempt of court, and potentially thrown in jail, if he repeats his contemptible conduct after a warning from the judge.
Although Trump is appealing the judgment, he will have to post an appeals bond in the amount of the judgment to ensure his compliance with paying the judgment should the appeals court turn him down. Based on his egregious conduct during the trial and the overwhelming evidence against Trump, I do not see his appeal succeeding.
I am sure that the other judges currently hearing Trump cases have taken note of this judgment. Hopefully, they will be more willing to hold him in contempt of court if he keeps up his shenanigans in those trials. There could be a very real possibility of a judge in one of Trump’s criminal trials, revoking Trump’s bail and ordering him to be held in custody pending trial and during trial, by not following its gag order or some other order — just like any other common defendant.
