Carroll v. Trump jurors will be anonymous, judge says, citing Trump's reaction to hush money investigation

Style Magazine Newswire | 3/23/2023, 1:06 p.m.
The judge handling the civil lawsuit of E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump says jurors' personal information will be kept …
Carroll v. Trump jurors will be anonymous, the judge handling the civil lawsuit of E. Jean Carroll against former President Donald Trump has ruled. Mandatory Credit: CNN

Originally Published: 23 MAR 23 13:13 ET

By Dan Berman, CNN

(CNN) -- The judge handling the civil lawsuit of E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump says jurors' personal information will be kept confidential and other security measures will be taken to protect them, citing the former president's history of attacking the legal system.

Judge Lewis Kaplan noted Trump's most recent comments surrounding the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation into alleged hush money payments adult film star Stormy Daniels as a reason to protect jurors as much as possible

"Mr. Trump's quite recent reaction to what he perceived as an imminent threat of indictment by a grand jury sitting virtually next door to this Court was to encourage 'protest' and to urge people to 'take our country back.' That reaction reportedly has been perceived by some as incitement to violence," Kaplan wrote in an order Thursday.

"And it bears mention that Mr. Trump repeatedly has attacked courts, judges, various law enforcement officials and other public officials, and even individual jurors in other matters," the judge added.

Kaplan did not order the jury to be sequestered for the trial, however.

The Associated Press and New York Daily News had argued against keeping the jurors anonymous.

Carroll, a former magazine writer, alleged Trump raped her in a New York department store dressing room and defamed her when he denied the rape, said "she's not my type" and alleged she made the claim to boost sales of her book.

The trial on Carroll's lawsuit accusing Trump of battery and defaming her is scheduled to begin on April 25.

Trump has denied all the charges against him.

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