Former President Donald Trump “mucked up” his protection towards E. Jean Carroll’s rape allegations with one “big blunder,” in accordance with former prosecutor Jennifer Rodgers.
Carroll, a former Elle columnist, has accused Trump of raping her at a Bergdorf Goodman division retailer in New York Metropolis within the mid-Nineties, then repeatedly defaming her character by denying the alleged assault came about. Trump has maintained his innocence, saying that he by no means raped Carroll, who sued him for defamation. Either side rested their case within the seven-day authorized trial this week, inserting the ultimate determination within the fingers of the jury.
Throughout the trial on Friday, unsealed video footage appeared to contradict one in all Trump’s key protection factors. The previous president has repeatedly stated that Carroll is just not his “sort,” however mistook {a photograph} of her as his ex-wife Marla Maples throughout a deposition.
Rodgers, an lawyer and CNN authorized analyst, stated throughout a Saturday look on the community that this error “mucked up” his authorized protection.
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She stated the argument that Trump might haven’t raped Carroll as a result of he isn’t interested in her doesn’t maintain up as a result of rape “is just not actually about sexual attraction.” A stronger protection would have targeted on the defendant’s character, Rodgers added.
“He cannot do this right here. Why? As a result of that isn’t his character. He could not discover any witnesses to say that. In actual fact, fairly the other. There can be dozens of witnesses on the opposite aspect to testify on the contrary,” she stated. “So he is left with this ridiculous protection of, ‘Gee. I do not actually discover her enticing.’ And now that is not even actually obtainable to him both, as a result of he is mucked it up with this photograph.”
Newsweek reached out to Trump’s marketing campaign through e mail for remark.
Trump has so far declined to testify earlier than the jury, although New York District Decide Lewis Kaplan supplied an prolonged deadline for Trump to testify in his personal protection, giving the previous president’s authorized staff till 5 p.m. on Sunday to petition the courtroom to reopen the case.
Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, additionally stated on CNN that Trump’s authorized staff would take a “very critical danger” by not having the previous president testify, because the jury won’t have an “emotional connection” to Trump.
Mariotti added that Trump’s absence at courtroom proceedings may additionally sign to the jury that he’s not taking the trial significantly.
“Except they completely disbelieve every thing Carroll has stated and the opposite witnesses, I feel that actually, Trump and his staff are placing themselves able to lose this case,” he stated.
Trump advised reporters at his golf course in Doonbeg, Eire, on Thursday that he’ll “in all probability” attend the trial, commenting: “I’ll in all probability attend [the trial] and I feel it is a shame that it is allowed to occur, false accusations towards a wealthy man, or in my case towards a well-known, wealthy and political particular person.”