Jury begins deliberations in Trump rape lawsuit

Jurors began deliberations Tuesday in the lawsuit brought by author E. Jean Carroll against former President Donald Trump, whom she claims raped her in the mid-1990s.

The jury can return one of several verdicts in the civil case, Judge Lewis Kaplan said, according to The Guardian. 

Jurors could clear Trump, or find that the former president raped Carroll or that he is responsible for sexual abuse or forcible touching. If the jury finds Trump is responsible for any form of sexual abuse, they will need to assess damages.

While the jury deliberated, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Waiting for a jury decision on a False Accusation where I, despite being a current political candidate and leading all others in both parties, am not allowed to speak or defend myself."

Trump was deposed on tape in the case and the judge gave him until Sunday to testify in court, after both sides had rested their cases nearly two weeks following jury selection.

In 2019, Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. New York State created a one-year window to allow adults to sue their alleged attackers even beyond the statute of limitations, enabling Carroll to file her case. Trump has denied the allegations. 

The four-page verdict form asked whether Carroll proved her claims "by a preponderance of the evidence."

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.