Key takeaways:
- Donald Trump will not present a defense case in the civil trial on allegations he raped writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
- The jury did hear directly from Trump later in the day, when lawyers for Carroll played a 2018 audio recording of him denying the rape allegation.
- Carroll’s lawyers said they could finish presenting their case on Thursday, and Trump’s lawyers will then have an opportunity to make closing arguments.
Former President Donald Trump will not present a defense case in the civil trial on allegations he raped writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s, his attorney Joe Tacopina told a U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan on Wednesday.
Tacopina said the decision was made after learning that health issues were preventing their expert witness, a psychiatrist, from testifying. The expert was one of only two people on the defense’s witness list prior to the trial in Manhattan federal court.
The jury did hear directly from Trump later in the day, when lawyers for Carroll played a 2018 audio recording of him denying the rape allegation. The recording was made during an interview with The Hill newspaper.
Psychologist Leslie Lebowitz testified Wednesday in Manhattan federal court on behalf of Carroll. Her testimony was followed by a statement from Tacopina that Trump would not be testifying.
Carroll’s lawyers said they could finish presenting their case on Thursday. Trump’s lawyers will then have an opportunity to make closing arguments. After that, the jury will decide whether Trump defamed Carroll when he denied her allegation.
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