In the ongoing Jean Carroll Trump rape defamation and civil battery trial, former President Donald Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, has requested that the judge declare a mistrial. In letters filed overnight and early Monday, Trump’s legal team argues that the judge has made “pervasive unfair and prejudicial rulings” against Trump.
Accusations Against the Judge
Tacopina’s letter accuses Judge Lewis Kaplan of mischaracterizing the facts of the case to the jury, improperly sustaining objections to some of Tacopina’s questions, and bolstering Carroll’s testimony.
The letter requests that Kaplan either dismiss the lawsuit or “correct the record for each and every instance in which the Court has mischaracterized the facts of this case to the Jury” and provide the defense with greater latitude to cross-examine Carroll and her witnesses.
Jean Carroll Trump Rape Lawsuit: Allegations
E. Jean Carroll, an advice columnist, has accused Trump of raping her in the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s and later defaming her when he denied her claims, suggested she fabricated the story to boost book sales, and said she wasn’t his type. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Trial Testimonies and Controversial Rulings
During the trial, Tacopina raised concerns about Kaplan’s rulings, such as restricting him from asking Carroll about her efforts to obtain security footage from Bergdorf Goodman.
