A New York court has ordered former US president and 2024 candidate Donald Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages to writer E.J. Carroll.
Carroll is seeking more than $100 million in damages for defamation.
In a statement released by Trump after the verdict, he said that he would appeal the verdict as “ridiculous”.
The court delivered its decision after a hearing of less than three hours.
Trump, who initially appeared in court in the case, has since publicly expressed aggressive views on the case, but later attended a court hearing for closing arguments.
He was outside the courtroom when the levels of compensatory and punitive damages were read by the court clerk.
“This is a huge win for every woman who will be encouraged to stand up when they are being attacked,” Carroll said. This is a huge defeat against every bully that tries to keep women down.”
A judge was seen smiling at Carroll as the nine men and women left the courtroom after the judge encouraged them to protect their privacy.
“Did you notice, it’s clear to me,” Judge Louis Kaplan said in sentencing.
Trump ordered $7.3 million in compensatory damages and $11 million in reputational damages and $65 million in punitive damages for his public comments about Carroll.
Commenting on the verdict, Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, said, “I am not surprised by the award because his serious misconduct during the trial may have swayed the judge.”
“Trump is unlikely to win the appeal, because the judges have great respect for Kaplan, who is a very experienced federal jurist,” Tobias said.
Trump, who was convicted by a jury of sexually assaulting Carroll in a separate federal civil case in New York, used his Truth social platform to flood Carroll, the hearing and the judge with abusive messages. Newsagency