On Tuesday, former U.S. President Donald Trump will stand trial for the alleged rape of Jean Caroll, a former advice columnist for Elle magazine.
In a civil case, the author claims that the former American president raped her in the middle of the 1990s in a department shop dressing room.
Jury selection is expected to begin in Manhattan federal court, where the former Elle magazine advice columnist is also accusing Trump of defamation.
Ms Carroll claims she was raped by Trump. However in a post on his Truth Social site from October 2022, the former president termed her assertion a “hoax” and “complete scam.” He stated that she fabricated the encounter in order to promote her memoir and added she was “not my type!”
A court appearance by Mr Trump is not required. His attorneys have indicated that he might not attend, due to traffic and safety worries. However, Ms Carroll’s lawyers stated that they do not plan to call Mr Trump as a witness.
Mr Trump would probably experience a vigorous cross-examination if he testified. Since she made the initial public accusation of rape against him in 2019, Mr Trump has criticised Ms Carroll frequently and indecently. He once alleged she suffers from a mental illness.
In order to protect the jurors from any intimidation by Mr Trump supporters, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the case, has ordered that they remain nameless to the public, including the attorneys.
Mr Trump, the leading Republican candidate for president in 2024, is currently the subject of numerous lawsuits and investigations.
One of the charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg against Mr Trump is the hush payment of money to a porn star.
On April 4, Mr Trump entered a not-guilty plea to those charges at a New York state courthouse.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has also accused the former president of civil fraud against his own corporation.
In addition to these are criminal investigations into Mr Trump’s involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, as well as investigations into his involvement in the tampering of the Georgia 2020 presidential election and the sensitive government documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home.
Mr Trump denied any wrongdoing in all of these cases.
