Donald Trump and his legal team are reportedly planning to introduce a controversial piece of evidence concerning E. Jean Carroll, the woman who accused Trump of raping her in Manhattan in the mid-1990s. According to Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, Trump's lawyers are preparing to present excerpts from Carroll's deposition to show that she engaged in other sexual behavior and demonstrate her "sexual predisposition."
Kaplan argued in a Wednesday, April 19 filing that this strategy "squarely" violates the rules regarding admissible evidence, emphasizing that such regulations were established to protect victims of sexual assault from embarrassment and to avoid reinforcing harmful sexual stereotypes.
This development follows reports that the former President has requested to be excused from attending the high-profile court proceedings scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 25.
"Defendant Trump wishes to appear at trial," Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina wrote in a statement, arguing that his presence would impose "logistical and financial burdens upon New York City, its residents, and the Court itself."
Tacopina further detailed the potential complications, including the need for coordination with the Secret Service, the lockdown of courthouse floors, and restrictions on courthouse personnel and the public.
Kaplan, however, dismissed Trump's rationale for not attending the trial. "If Mr. Trump decides not to appear at his own trial for sexual assault and defamation, the jury may draw whatever inferences it chooses — and Mr. Trump has no right to a judicial endorsement of his (flimsy) excuse," she countered.
Kaplan added that if Trump can find a way to attend events such as wrestling championships, political conventions, civil depositions, and campaign functions, he should be able to navigate the logistics of attending his own federal trial.
As reported by Bloomberg, Trump's legal team intends to introduce evidence related to Carroll's "sexual predisposition" during the trial.