Trump doesn't plan to put on a defense case in E. Jean Carroll trial, his lawyer says

CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 5/3/2023, 3:51 p.m.
Donald Trump's legal team will not put on a defense case in a civil battery and defamation trial brought against …
Donald Trump’s legal team will not put on a defense case against the writer E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit accusing him of rape. Mandatory Credit: Getty Images

Originally Published: 03 MAY 23 16:11 ET

Updated: 03 MAY 23 16:22 ET

By Lauren del Valle, CNN

(CNN) -- Donald Trump's legal team will not put on a defense case in a civil battery and defamation trial brought against the former president, his attorney said Wednesday.

Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina confirmed outside the presence of the jury that his legal team will not call a previously proposed expert witness due to logistical reasons related to health concerns for the witness.

The case was brought by former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, who has alleged Trump raped her in the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s and then defamed her when he denied her claim, said she wasn't his type and suggested she made up the story to boost sales of her book. Trump has denied all wrongdoing.

The jury heard testimony Wednesday from Dr. Leslie Lebowitz, a clinical psychologist, who testified that she evaluated Carroll and found that she has no signs of thought or character disorders or mental illness, but that she has been harmed by the alleged rape by Trump.

Carroll's sister Cande Carroll testified on Wednesday afternoon. The jury is also hearing from Natasha Stoynoff, a journalist who's accused Trump of sexually assaulting her. Trump has denied Stoynoff's claims.

The infamous "Access Hollywood" tape and Trump's video deposition are also expected to be played for the jury later Wednesday.

On Thursday, the jury is expected to hear from witnesses Carol Martin, Dr. Ashlee Humphreys, and former Elle Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers.

Judge Lewis Kaplan told the jury they can reasonably expect to get the case early next week.

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