Trump Lawyer Asks for Delay of Civil Trial
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Facts
- On Tuesday, former US Pres. Donald Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, requested a one-month delay in the civil trial regarding columnist E. Jean Carroll’s claims Trump raped her in 1996. The trial is scheduled to begin on April 25.1
- In a letter, Tacopina asked for a 'cooling off' period because of 'the recent deluge of prejudicial media coverage' surrounding Trump since he was indicted last month on 34 felony counts related to a payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.1
- Previously, Carroll sued Trump in November 2019, claiming he defamed her by denying the allegation. That case is still pending.2
- Now, Carroll is suing Trump under a New York law that allows survivors of sexual assault to seek damages after the statute of limitations has expired on the alleged criminal offense, accusing him of battery and defamation.3
- The more recent suit revolves around an October 2022 social media post in which Trump denied knowing Carroll and said he 'would have no interest in knowing her if I ever had the chance.' He also called her previous lawsuit a 'complete con job.'4
Sources: 1Associated Press, 2Reuters, 3Independent and 4FOX News.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by Washington post. This is just Trump's latest bad-faith attempt to delay this trial, begging the question of whether the former president has something to hide. Regardless, he made a series of defamatory comments about Carroll — which is the basis of her suit — and eventually, he’s going to have to face the music.
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Washington examiner. Trump has the right to an impartial trial, but the current politically charged media frenzy makes the jury ripe for prejudice — an environment Democrats are seemingly willing to exploit in order to further their persecution of Trump. Tacopina's request is completely legitimate and should be seriously considered.