The trial of writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation suit against the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former President Donald Trump faced an unexpected halt on Monday, Jan. 22. The judge suspended the trial after one of Trump’s lawyers, Alina Habba, revealed exposure to COVID-19, and a juror reported feeling unwell while en route to the federal courthouse in New York.
Habba, despite testing negative, said she felt unwell. She said she was exposed to COVID-19 during a visit with her parents and requested a one-day postponement while proposing to delay the trial until Wednesday.
The trial was adjourned for the day after a juror, experiencing flu-like symptoms, contacted the federal courthouse to report his condition.
During courtroom discussions, Trump also reminded Habba that New Hampshire was holding its presidential primary the following day (Tuesday), fueling some doubts that the “illness” was simply a delay tactic. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan suggested proceeding with eight jurors, a proposal accepted by Carroll’s team but rejected by Trump’s lawyers.
Kaplan also rejected Trump’s latest motion for a mistrial, which his attorneys made during Carroll’s cross-examination.
Habba had sought a mistrial earlier during Carroll’s cross-examination, emphasizing deleting emails containing threats to Carroll’s safety. Kaplan promptly rejected the request. In a letter to Kaplan last week, Habba reiterated the request, arguing that without the records, it’s challenging to establish the timeline of the threats.
This is the second trial by Carroll against Trump. In 2023, a jury found that Trump sexually assaulted Carroll and awarded the writer $5 million in damages. After the former president allegedly continued to denigrate Carroll publicly, the writer sought further damages, which the New York jury will consider once testimony and closing arguments wrap in the current case.
