E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against Trump will head to trial in January

A federal judge Thursday set the trial date in E. Jean Carroll’s initial defamation lawsuit against former President Trump for January 15, 2024. 

Judge Lewis Kaplan said in the order, “Unless this case previously has been entirely disposed of, trial of this action shall commence on January 15, 2024, absent contrary order of the Court.”

Carroll recently won $5 million in a separate defamation and sexual assault lawsuit against Trump, who was found liable for assault and defamation but not for rape. That lawsuit centered on assault allegations from decades ago and Trump’s comments after his presidency. 

He denies any wrongdoing.

The defamation lawsuit set to go to trial in January focuses on comments Trump made in 2019 when Carroll first came forward with allegations of assault. Trump was in the White House at the time, and proceedings have been delayed by questions about whether Trump could be personally held accountable for comments he made serving as president. 

On Tuesday, Kaplan ruled to accept an amended lawsuit in this defamation case. The amended lawsuit includes comments Trump made during a CNN town hall in May, just one day after being found liable in Carroll’s other lawsuit. He claimed not to know Carroll, calling her a “whack job” and calling the case “fake news.” 

Trump was arraigned in Florida on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified documents. He’s been accused of obstructing a federal investigation and of willfully retaining national defense information.

In March, Trump faces a separate criminal trial in New York on charges related to falsifying business records related to hush-money payments leading up to the 2016 election.