Trump lawyer requests new trial in E Jean Carroll case that saw ex-president fined $83.3m
The IndependentSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In a new court filing on Tuesday, attorneys for Mr Trump pushed for a new trial, arguing that the trial’s verdict had been “infected” by errors. According to the filing, Judge Lewis Kaplan did not allow the jury to consider comments from Mr Trump on his “state of mind” when he defamed Ms Carroll, which “restrict the scope” of his testimony. In the stricken testimony cited by his attorneys, Mr Trump had said he “just wanted to defend myself, my family, and frankly, the presidency.” “This Court’s erroneous decision to dramatically limit the scope of President Trump’s testimony almost certainly influenced the jury’s verdict, and thus a new trial is warranted,” the defence attorneys wrote. The attorneys also argued the federal judge gave “erroneous jury instruction on the definition of common-law malice.” This wasn’t Mr Trump’s first time calling for a redo.