Trump’s Request to Halt E. Jean Carroll Case Rejected by Court

Former President Donald Trump’s request to halt proceedings in his upcoming defamation trial was rejected by a federal appeals court on Thursday, NBC News reported.

Attorneys representing Trump filed a request with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to grant a 90-day stay on proceedings in the case, which concerns comments he made about E. Jean Carroll and her allegations of sexual assault in 2019. 

Trump had attempted to argue that he couldn’t be sued over the remarks, which were made while he was president, due to presidential immunity. However, the court ruled unanimously that Trump waited too long to raise the issue of presidential immunity as a defense.

The trial is set to start on Jan. 16. It concerns comments Trump made — calling Carroll a “whack job” along with other disparaging remarks — and will focus only on the monetary damages to which Carroll is entitled.

A previous trial involving Trump and Carroll resulted in a jury finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarding Carroll $5 million in damages. Trump is appealing that verdict and continues to deny the allegations.