Judge warns Trump to avoid public

Judge warns Trump to avoid public comments as jury selection commences in rape lawsuit made a thinly-veiled attempt to prevent Trump from publicly commenting on the case to avoid inciting violence or civil unrest.

On Tuesday, the Manhattan federal court commenced the selection of a jury for the patient. Trump, who denied the allegations, was not present during the process. Nevertheless, US District Judge Lewis A.

Kaplan warned both attorneys to advise their clients against making statements that could incite violence. Kaplan clarified that his warning was not meant to imply misconduct but to prevent future problems.

To protect the jurors from harassment, Kaplan ordered that the jury remains anonymous and their names will not be released. Instead, the US Marshals will transport them daily from a secret location to the court.

The trial arises from Carroll’s accusation that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. She has filed a lawsuit for the alleged rape and defamation. In October, Trump referred to her story as a “hoax and a lie” on Truth Social, which led to the defamation claim.

Carroll wants the jury to award her compensatory and punitive damages and to retract his statements. Trump’s comments have allegedly harmed Carroll’s reputation, which she relies on for her career as a journalist, writer, and advice columnist.

Although Carroll shared the story with two friends shortly after the alleged assault, she didn’t reveal it publicly until 2019, when she published it in an essay for New York magazine. The opening statements were expected to begin on Tuesday afternoon. As of 2:30 p.m. ET, Trump had not commented on the case on Truth Social or Facebook.