Judge Seeks to Determine if Former President Donald Trump Will Attend Rape Allegation Trial on March 22nd

A federal judge in New York is seeking to determine whether former President Donald Trump will attend a trial this month stemming from a rape allegation made by writer E. Jean Carroll.

The trial is set to begin on March 22nd and will address the allegation that Trump raped Carroll in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the early 1990s. Carroll filed a lawsuit against Trump in November 2020, claiming that the former president had defamed her by denying the allegation.

The judge overseeing the case, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, has asked Trump’s lawyers to provide an answer to the question of whether or not he will be present at the trial. Kaplan has also rejected a request from lawyers to release the names of anonymous jurors, citing Trump’s recent public statements about the criminal case against him in state court as evidence that jurors could be harassed if their identities were revealed.

The trial is expected to last for two weeks and will include testimony from both Carroll and Trump. It is unclear at this time whether Trump will attend the trial in person or if he will be represented by his lawyers.

The outcome of the trial could have major implications for Trump and his reputation, as the allegation of rape carries a significant stigma. It is yet to be seen how the trial will play out and what the final verdict will be.