E. Jean Carroll seeks to expedite Trump’s appeal of verdict from first defamation civil trial

Lawyers for E. Jean Carroll have asked a federal appeals court to expedite Donald Trump’s appeal of the verdict in their first trial in which a jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages after finding Trump liable for defamation and battery in May 2023.

Carroll wants to see the oral arguments for the appeal scheduled to take place by July, arguing that the former president will try to further delay the proceedings, using his ongoing criminal trial or busy campaign schedule as an excuse.

The motion with the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals filed Tuesday cites Trump’s numerous attempts to delay both trials with Carroll as a signal that he’s likely to drag out the appeal.

“Donald J. Trump has demonstrated a clear pattern of dilatory, obstructionist, and bad faith conduct throughout these proceedings. With the pendency of the general presidential election campaign (which will intensify in the fall), not to mention several active state and federal criminal proceedings, Mr. Trump may well contend that any oral argument scheduled for later in 2024 must be deferred until early 2025 – at which point he could be preparing for an inauguration or awaiting another criminal trial,” the motion says.

Carroll’s lawyers argue an expedited appellate ruling on the first case would help promote a timely resolution in Trump’s separate appeal of the verdict in the second trial between Carroll and Trump that hinged on the jury’s decision in the first trial per a ruling from the judge who presided over both trials.

The jury in the second trial held in January determined Trump should pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages for defaming her.

Her lawyers also asked the appeals court to consider the author’s progressing age.

“Ms. Carroll is an 80-year-old woman who has struggled mightily to obtain justice for almost five years,” the filing says.