Yesterday was the second day of the E. Jean Carroll vs. Donald Trump Civil Trial in Manhattan. It was a tense day, Ms. Carroll was to testify against Trump. I was there to live draw what I saw, and below are the sketches I did during the proceedings. I was in the gallery about five rows back from the area where the action happened, and had a very clear view of the judge and the witness stand. When presenting and interrogating, the lawyers’ backs were to us in the audience. I could also see about two thirds of the jury. You may have already read a bit about the trial, and so my report will be mostly drawings and some of commentary about what I heard and saw.
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Ms. Carroll and two of her team arrived. Her expression remained almost the same throughout the day; during the day she smiled a few times, ever so slightly, but even when she was upset (she cried briefly twice), her face remained static and expressionless. When she was on the witness stand, she sat upright and still, turning only on occasion to see or speak to the Judge.
Before the jury arrived, there was information shared by the lawyers that Eric Trump had posted on twitter something about the case. Mr. Trump’s lawyer said he had no idea about it.
Judge Lewis Kaplan, who had already scolded Mr. Tacopina for Trump’s posts on Truth Social, proceeded to warn the attorney to tell his client not to do this potential jury tampering, admonishing him to do better.
The first witness of the day was a former manager of Bergorf Goodman. She described the store and the clientele, how it is quite upscale and often not populated by many people. It helped the jury understand the environment where the alleged rape took place.
Then Ms. Carroll took the stand. On direct from one of her lawyers, we learned of her upbringing, her personality, her level of fame in the 1990’s. Her youth as an athelete in Indiana was described, a beauty queen in college and her path to establishing her career as a writer.
Then she said it outright. “Donald Trump raped me.”
Below are my writings and drawings of what I heard and saw. It’s a selective gathering, but I am hoping it gives you a flavor of what transpired. The NY Times is doing a daily live blog on the proceedings (I sat next to them) which can tell you a lot more than I can. My job is primarily visual.
Below are some drawings of other things going on in the room, and during breaks.
For me, it was compelling testimony. Ms. Carroll became a complete indivudual in my mind, and I can comprehend (as best I can as never having experienced anything like this) what she went through. Not just the incident, but the aftermath. I think most women can understand it, even those never having been asaulted. Violence is always there, a potential.
I lived in NY around that time, and although I never read it, I recall Carroll’s advice column and her presence as a NYC personality. I recall Trump being a celebrity of sorts in the city also (and also repeatedly mocked, I might add). This was a decade where some women were becoming successful and there was a feeling of empowerment; however, MeToo was still decades away.
What I heard and felt from Carroll’s testimony is that she entered Bergdorfs a strong, professional woman with a great sense of humor. Just about to leave, she ran into Trump, having already met before briefly, they had a few moments of fun as two professional people of note, shopping, laughing and flirting. Then, he attacked her. She never fully recovered. He wielded emmense power, not just in the dressing room where he allegedly raped her, but afterwards in defaming her and ruining her reputation and source of livelihood.
He should be held accountable.
What a lonely place the witness stand is, especially when talking about a rape and the aftermath.
Devastating. Thank you for witnessing.