Attorneys for E. Jean Carroll and Donald J. Trump, pitted against each other in a civil defamation trial in Manhattan, know little about the nine people considering her claim for millions of dollars in damages against the former president.
So, their lawyers have been left making pitches to those nine, the jurors, about whom they have only the barest scraps of information, working on hunches and instincts to persuade people who by design are not knowable.
The judge, Lewis A. Kaplan, ordered that the jurors remain anonymous as they considered how much Mr. Trump should pay for saying Ms. Carroll lied when she accused him of sexual abuse, for which he has already been found liable.
Judge Kaplan said jurors should be identified only by number and even suggested they not share their actual names with one other.
In a pretrial ruling, he explained his rationale, citing the potential for influence attempts, harassment or worse by Mr. Trump’s supporters — or the former president himself.
Persons:
Jean Carroll, Donald J, Trump, Lewis A, Kaplan, Carroll, Trump’s, —
Organizations:
E
Locations:
Manhattan