Judge rejects Trump’s attempt to delay E. Jean Carroll civil trial, calls appeal ‘frivolous’ 

A federal judge has denied former President Trump’s attempt to delay a January civil trial in writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit against him.

After U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan earlier this summer rejected Trump’s bid to toss the lawsuit, Trump appealed that decision and requested Kaplan pause the trial in the meantime.

“He has not engaged with this Court’s analysis of either question and thus shown no likelihood of success on appeal. Accordingly, this Court certifies that Mr. Trump’s appeal is frivolous and therefore has not divested this Court of jurisdiction,” wrote Kaplan, a Clinton appointee.

Trump’s appeal is still pending, but Friday’s ruling would allow the Jan. 15 trial to take place as scheduled.

Carroll has accused Trump of defaming her by accusing her of lying when she came forward and accused Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s at a New York City department store. 

Trump has repeatedly denied Carroll’s story, but a jury found him liable for sexual battery earlier this year in the longtime advice columnist’s other lawsuit.

Carroll’s pending action sues Trump for defamation over his comments in June 2019 about the accusations, including during an interview with The Hill. She has since added newer remarks from Trump’s recent CNN town hall to her lawsuit.

Trump is now appealing Kaplan’s determination that he can’t assert in the case that he has absolute presidential immunity. That ruling cleared one of the last remaining hurdles before the case can reach trial.

Kaplan, in denying Trump’s request for a delay Friday, noted it was the former president’s fourth pause attempt since the lawsuit began.

“In these somewhat unusual and extraordinary circumstances where immunity is being litigated essentially on the eve of trial, Mr. Trump has not satisfied his burden of establishing that he would suffer irreparable harm in the absence of a stay,” Kaplan ruled.