Former U.S. attorney Harry Litman said on “CNN News Central” Friday that former President Donald Trump walking out of the courtroom could lead to extremely high punitive damages in his New York E. Jean Carroll defamation trial.
Trump evacuated the courtroom as Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, told the jury he is a liar who believes “the rules don’t apply to him,” according to NBC News. Litman asserted Trump’s move is unheard of and backs up Kaplan’s statement, seeming to purposely implore the jury to levy exorbitantly high punitive damages against the former president. (RELATED: Judge Denies Trump’s Team From Referencing E. Jean Carroll’s Rape Claim For Future Defamation Trial)
“I just want to say about Trump’s exit today … that might be a surprise or drama on TV — in real life, in federal court, it is mind-boggling,” Litman said. “It just doesn’t happen. And of course, it just drips with contempt for the whole process, for the plaintiff, for the jury. It’s almost calculated. First, he proves the very point that the lawyer was saying, he thinks the rules don’t apply to him. … Everybody sits still and respectfully for a closing argument. And it virtually begs the jury to impose stratospheric punitive damages.”
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is not related to Carroll’s lawyer, interrupted the attorney’s closing argument to note the former president’s sudden exit. After Trump departed, the lawyer said Trump “thinks with his wealth and power” and believes he will not suffer any repercussions, according to NBC News.
The judge also told Trump attorney Alina Habba she was “on the verge of” jail time as she persisted in arguing with him regarding showing a slide with evidence, according to Politico legal reporter Erica Orden.
Trump’s consistent “incorrigibility,” “nastiness” and testimony about his immense wealth could also contribute to high punitive damages, Litman asserted.
“So I don’t know if there’s a calculator high enough for what they might be thinking about,” he stated.
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