Kaplan Hecker & Fink successfully represented writer E. Jean Carroll in her lawsuit against former President Donald Trump for sexual battery and defamation, securing a $5 million jury verdict on her behalf.
Trial before the Honorable Lewis A. Kaplan of the Southern District of New York began on April 25, and concerned Carroll’s claims that Trump sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s and then defamed her in 2022 after she spoke publicly about the assault. After under three hours of deliberations, the jury concluded that Trump sexually abused and defamed Carroll. The jury ordered Trump to pay $5 million in damages.
In a statement, Carroll said, “I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and to get my life back. Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed.”
Founding Partner Roberta Kaplan explained: “No one is above the law, not even a former President of the United States. For far too long, survivors of sexual assault faced a wall of doubt and intimidation. We hope and believe the verdict will be an important step in tearing that wall down.”