Staff Reports
Alina Habba, the attorney for Donald Trump, is now addressing the "special treatment" accorded to the main counsel of advice columnist E. Jean Carroll subsequent to a civil defamation trial in which a jury ordered the former president to pay her an astounding $83.3 million. Habba argues that this partiality in the court's decision may warrant a new trial and should function as the foundation for an appeal.
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In a letter to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, Habba conveyed her astonishment regarding allegations that the judge had previously served as a "mentor" to Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan. The individual asserts that prior to the case proceeding, this information ought to have been divulged, and expresses apprehensions regarding possible conflicts of interest.
The attorney for the former president was taken aback by these disclosures; she was made aware of the purported conflict of interest by a New York Post reporter. Due to purported connections between the judge and Carroll's attorney that originated during their tenure at the law firm Paul, Weiss Rifkin, Wharton & Garrison, Habba is concerned that the judge's dealings with the defense counsel and President Trump may have exhibited a bias from the courtroom.
Controversy has arisen surrounding the recent defamation trial, which was exclusively preoccupied with calculating damages subsequent to a prior jury trial that found Trump liable. Habba perceives this trial as showing preferential treatment towards the plaintiff's counsel. In light of these recent disclosures, the defense is contemplating its next course of action, which may involve a motion for fresh trials concerning the matters of liability and damages.
A Roberta Kaplan representative refuted these concerns by asserting that the judge and she never had a dispute; she stated that Kaplan was a subordinate associate and had never been his direct employee. Conversely, an unidentified former partner at the law firm made allegations that Carroll's attorney proactively pursued acknowledgment from fellow partners, including Judge Kaplan.
Following the jury's verdict of $83.3 million in damages, in addition to the $5 million awarded in the previous trial, the former president has vowed to file an appeal of both decisions. Trump criticized the Republican Party and the legal system for being weaponized against him, describing the verdict as "completely absurd."
Legal professionals foresee that Trump might be required to escrow a substantial sum of money or secure the judgment pending the outcome of the appeals process. Additionally, the purported dispute between the two Kaplans may potentially function as a basis for an appeal, thereby adding complexity to an already contentious legal dispute involving the former president.
Trump maintains his innocence in the face of numerous civil and criminal legal challenges by pleading not guilty in each case and threatening to retaliate against what he considers to be a politically motivated "witch hunt."
Trump maintains his determination despite these legal disputes, pledging to litigate before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit and condemning what he perceives to be unjustified attacks on him and the Republican Party.
