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$83.3m defamation award against Trump stands, says U.S court

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A US appeals court upheld Monday a jury’s $83.3 million penalty against President Donald Trump for defaming author E. Jean Carroll, who was found to have sexually assaulted her.

The January 2024 order consisted of $65 million in punitive damages after the jury found Trump acted maliciously in his many public comments about Carroll, $7.3 million in compensatory damages, and $11 million to pay for an online campaign to repair Carroll’s reputation.

The civil order, which prompted an audible gasp in the federal court, far exceeded the more than $10 million in damages for defamation that Carroll had sought.

Trump — whom a jury found liable for sexually assaulting Carroll in a separate federal civil case in New York — used his Truth Social platform at the time to fire off a spate of insulting messages attacking Carroll, the trial, and the judge, whom he called “an extremely abusive individual.”

– ‘Substantial financial penalty’ –

“We hold that the district court did not err in any of the challenged rulings and that the jury’s duly rendered damages awards were reasonable in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts of this case,” the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit wrote.

Carroll, 81, alleged that Trump defamed her in 2019, when she first made her assault allegations public, by saying she “is not my type.”

Jurors were shown Trump’s October 2022 deposition, during which he confused a picture of Carroll for his former wife, Marla Maples, which threatened to cast doubt on his claim that Carroll was not his “type.”

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In 2023, another federal jury found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll in a department store dressing room in 1996 and subsequently defaming her in 2022, when he called her a “complete con job.”

“We agree with the district court that the jury was entitled to find that Trump would not stop defaming Carroll unless he was subjected to a substantial financial penalty,” the appeals court ruled Monday.

Trump was not required to attend the trial or to testify. However, he used the case to generate heated media coverage and to fuel his claims of being victimized as he campaigned for a return to the White House.

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PHOTOS: NESREA Investigates Suspected Chemical Spill On Kaduna-Abuja Expressway

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The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has launched an investigation into a suspected chemical spill on the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway following the appearance of a white, foamy substance believed to have resulted from a road accident involving a heavy-duty truck.

A statement issued by the agency’s Assistant Director (Press), Nwamaka Ejiofor, said a team from the NESREA Kaduna State Field Office, led by the State Coordinator, Mr. Hena Dangari Emmanuel, visited the scene to commence investigations.

During the visit, the team met with the Police Commander for Jere, ACP Sani Zubairu, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Commander for the area, and the community leader as part of efforts to gather information on the incident.

According to the statement, “Preliminary findings indicate that a heavy-duty truck was involved in an accident leading to the spillage of its contents at the location.”

NESREA said investigators also gathered information from relevant officials and residents, while samples of the foamy substance, surrounding soil, and water from a nearby stream were collected for laboratory analysis to determine the nature and possible environmental impact of the spill.

The agency appealed to residents and road users to exercise caution pending the outcome of the investigation.

“Members of the public are strongly advised to avoid contact with the foamy substance, the water, and the surrounding soil until the investigation is concluded, to prevent possible exposure to hazardous materials,” the statement said.

NESREA said the laboratory analysis would help establish the composition of the spilled substance and guide any necessary environmental response, adding that further updates would be provided as investigations progress.

See also  Govs back State police reforms, SDP rejects Gbajabiamila on panel

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MURIC Rejects Life Imprisonment For Terrorists, Advocates Capital Punishment

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‎The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the life sentence given to the two notorious terrorists jailed last week, insisting that terrorists must receive capital punishment in order to deter others.

‎In a statement issued by the executive director of the group, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Wednesday, MURIC averred that it was dangerous to keep terrorists in prison custody because of their deadly networks which they use to organize jailbreaks.

‎MURIC recalled that wo notorious terrorists were given life sentence on Monday, 20th July, 2026.
Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence after convicting Abubakar Abba, popularly known as Abu Baraa, and Mahmud Usman, also known as Mahmuda for terrorist activities.

However, the group rejected the judgment, saying, “We reject this judgement for being too lenient, too dangerous and too disproportionate.
“These are hardened and merciless criminals who should be eliminated with the speed of light. A good surgeon will not hesitate to amputate a rotten limb from the anatomy.

‎”We are of the opinion that terrorists who execute their captives, traumatize families as well as whole nations and subject their victims to inhuman treatments deserve capital punishment.
“It is dangerous to keep terrorists in prison custody temporarily or ad infinitum because of their deadly networks which they use to organize jailbreaks.

‎”They are no longer human beings. It is dangerous to keep them with other inmates if we don’t want them to convert ordinary prisoners into terrorists like them.

‎”It appears the Nigerian authorities are yet to learn their lessons. The terrorists who staged the kidnap of school children and teachers at Oriire, Oyo State recently had demanded the release of the same two terrorists who were sentenced two days ago as a condition for releasing their innocent victims.

‎”That should have sent a red alert to the authorities that terrorists are taking advantage of the democratic environment to abuse our values.
Those who rob others of the dividends of democracy do not deserve to enjoy same. Terrorists have no right to claims of fundamental human rights.

‎”We, therefore demand the death penalty for any terrorist found guilty of active participation in terror attacks.

‎”In view of several audacious attacks on prison facilities and the tendency of terrorists to plan attacks from prison, we also demand that terrorists sentenced to death must be executed within seven days of the judgement.

‎”The federal government should put all necessary legal niceties in place to ensure that due process is followed in this regard,” it added.

See also  Govs back State police reforms, SDP rejects Gbajabiamila on panel

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PHOTOS: Woman burnt to de@th in the home of a man she met at a club in Uyo

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An unidentified woman was d!ed early Tuesday morning, July 21, after a fire gutted a residential building along Ikpa Road in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

According to accounts shared online by a social media user, Frank Tochukwu Fidelis, the victim had accompanied a male companion to the residence after the duo met at a local nightclub earlier in the night.

Reports indicate that the fire broke out at approximately 5:30 AM, destroying properties worth millions of Naira. While the male resident managed to escape the burning structure unharmed, the woman was trapped inside and suffered fatal burns.

‘’If you have a friend or relative who went clubbing in Uyo last night and has not returned home, please contact the appropriate authorities or visit the relevant hospital or police station for confirmed information, rather than relying solely on social media posts.” Tochukwu wrote in the caption

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