Should Donald Trump be found guilty by the Manhattan jury hearing E. Jean Carroll's case alleging rape and defamation, they will have "wide latitude" over how far they can go in punishing the former president.
According to a report from ABC, jurors are expected to hear instructions from U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan after closing arguments in the middle of the week after which they will begin their deliberations on a case that could brand Trump as a rapist as he runs for president a third time.
According to Larry Neumeister, reporting for the Associated Press, "Kaplan instructed the nine jurors at the trial's start that the central claim pertains to 'battery.' He said that in a civil case, battery can result from even the slightest unlawful touching of another person."
He elaborated, "The jurors will be asked to decide whether Carroll has proven that Trump committed battery. If they decide that Trump committed battery, they are expected to be asked to what degree. After that, Carroll's attorney has proposed that jurors be asked separately whether Carroll has proven that Trump engaged in forcible touching, sexual abuse and rape. The judge has yet to make a decision on that proposal."
When it comes to the defamation accusation, jurors "will be asked if Carroll had proven that Trump's statement was defamatory and whether clear and convincing evidence had proven that Trump made the statement maliciously."
Should they rule against Trump, they are allowed to decide for themselves what the monetary penalty will, be with the report stating, "If a jury agrees that Carroll has proven her claims of battery and defamation, they can award compensatory and punitive damages. The amount is up to the jury."
The report that since the Carroll case is a civil trial, jail time is not part of teh equation.
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