Judge Starts Countdown Clock in Donald Trump's E. Jean Carroll Case

Donald Trump speaks during a Caucus Night watch party in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 8, 2024. Trump now has 30 days to post a bond while seeking to reduce the $83.3 million a jury awarded E. Jean Carroll in her defamation case against him.

A judge has officially registered the judgment in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation award against former President Donald Trump—starting the clock on Trump’s attempts to lower the $83.3 million awarded.

Judge Lewis Kaplan entered the judgment on Thursday, February 8, which gives Trump 30 days to post a bond pending post-trial motions to have the award lowered.

A jury decided in January that Trump should pay Carroll $83.3 million for claiming she was lying when she said Trump sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s.

Kaplan’s order is “for compensatory damages ( other than for the reputation repair program) in the amount of $7,300,000.00; Plaintiff E. Jean Carroll has judgment for compensatory damages (for the reputation repair program only) in the amount of $11,000,000.00; and Plaintiff E. Jean Carroll has judgment for punitive damages in the amount of $65,000,000.00, each as against the defendant Donald J. Trump for an aggregate sum of $83,300,000.00.”

New York-based attorney, Colleen Kerwick, told Newsweek that Trump could pay the full $83.3 million to the court, which would hold it in reserve while Trump asks Kaplan to lower the amount he must pay Carroll.

Alternatively, Trump could secure a bond and only have to post a small percentage of the award upfront.

“It’s like insurance, so the premium is 0.3 percent to 5 percent. When it is collateralized (with cash or real estate) the premium is at the lower end of that scale,” she said.

Newsweek sought email comment from Trump’s attorney on Friday.

In January, a jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages for statements the former president made in 2019 when denying allegations that he sexually assaulted the former Elle columnist in the mid-1990s. A separate jury in May found the former president liable for sexual assault, as Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million in damages for comments he made about her in 2022.

Throughout the case, even after the May ruling, Trump has been adamant that he is innocent of the allegations brought against him by Carroll.

Newsweek sought email comment from Trump’s lawyer on Friday.

MSNBC legal analyst, Lisa Rubin, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Judge Kaplan has at least entered judgment in the second Carroll trial. That starts the clock for Trump’s post-trial motions and for him to post a bond.

“Specifically, federal rules governing civil cases stay a plaintiff’s execution on a judgment for 30 days after the entry of judgment, which effectively means he has 30 days to provide a bond or other security to lengthen that stay pending an appeal.

“Trump also has 28 days after the entry of judgment to move for a new trial or to “alter or amend” the judgment.”

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