Donald Trump found guilty of sexually abusing E. John Carroll

Former (and possibly future) President Donald Trump has been found guilty of sexual assault in civil court. The jury also found him guilty of defamation.

Trump did not testify at the trial, which was held in Manhattan. Writer E. Jean Carroll alleged the politician raped her in a dressing room in 1996 and defamed her again in a social media post last year. This was a civil trial, not a criminal one, and resulted in an award of damages, not a prison sentence. The standards that the jury was asked to meet are also different. By CNN:

To prove his libel claim, the jury must find that Carroll’s legal team has proven by the preponderance of the evidence that Trump knew it was untrue when he released the statement about Carroll last year and slapped it. knowingly exposed to public ridicule. They must also determine that she has proven with clear and convincing evidence that the statement was untrue and that Trump made the statement with actual malice. The preponderance of the standard of proof and the standard of clear and convincing proof are not such high standards as proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is used in criminal cases. Clear and convincing evidence is greater than the preponderance of the evidence, which means more likely than not. Clear and convincing evidence leaves no substantial doubt in the mind of the juror and establishes that the proposition is highly probable.

In this case, the jury – three women and six men – deliberated for two and a half hours before reaching their verdict. Trump is liable for defamation and was ordered to pay Carroll $3 million. He is also responsible for the battery and is expected to pay an additional $2 million. On the question of the act itself, the jurors had the choice: rape, sexual abuse or forced touching, by Reuters. The jury found him guilty of sexual abuse.

In addition to their client’s refusal to testify, Trump’s attorneys offered no defense, betting on the company’s history not to believe the women (Carroll testified).