E. Jean Carroll just won big time over Donald Trump

E. Jean Carroll has already won one civil trial verdict against Donald Trump, to the tune of $5 million. Now Trump has failed in his last ditch bid to delay his second civil trial with Carroll, and it’s set to start in about a week and a half. Now Carroll has scored a major victory with regard to how that second trial will play out.

In the first trial, the jury found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll, but because of the way New York laws are written, the jury didn’t use the word rape. Trump tried to spin this as a victory, which merely prompted the judge in the trial to state his view that Trump did indeed rape Carroll.

Now Trump wants to go into this second trial and argue to the second jury that the first jury didn’t find that Trump raped Carroll. But the judge in the second trial just ruled that Trump cannot make this argument during the trial. This pretty much dismantles the defense that Trump was planning to use in the second trial. It also means that Trump will very likely lose the second trial, just like he lost the first trial.

The jury in the first trial awarded Carroll $5 million. If the jury in the second trial also finds Trump liable, any damages awarded will be in addition to the $5 million from the first trial. Carroll has an opportunity to pile on against Trump. And the victory she scored today will go a long way to making that happen.