A defense attorney for former US President Donald Trump recently raised accusations of conflict of interest in a defamation lawsuit filed by author E. Jean Carroll. In a letter filed in the US District court, attorney Alina Habba argued that Judge Lewis Kaplan should have recused himself from the case, citing previous working relationships with Carroll’s lead counsels as grounds for the alleged conflict. She further accused the judge of showing “preferential treatment” towards the plaintiff’s team, eliciting concerns regarding the impartiality of the $83.3 million verdict awarded to Carroll. [JURIST]
In her letter, Habba cited 28 U.S.C. § 455(a), which states that a judge “shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might be questioned,” as foundational grounds for Judge Kaplan’s recusal [Cornell Law School]. Further bolstering her argument, Habba referenced Canon 3(C) of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, which recommends judges to disqualify themselves in cases where one of the counsels is a former colleague [United States Courts].
However, Roberta Kaplan, one of Carroll’s lead counsels, retorted to Habba’s allegations via a letter of her own, reducing the claims as “utterly baseless”. Roberta Kaplan clarified the nature of her past professional relationship with Judge Kaplan, underscoring their brief stint at the same “large” law firm, while holding different roles. Moreover, she questioned the timing of Habba’s allegations, accusing her of knowingly withholding information about this purported conflict of interest until after the trial concluded [Court Listener].
In response to Roberta Kaplan, Habba insisted that her letter was an inquiry into the circumstances rather than a direct accusation [Court Listener]. Meanwhile, despite attempts made by Trump and his legal team to defer the defamation lawsuit brought forth by E. Jean Carroll, an appeals court rejected the request. The district court found Trump liable, awarding Carroll $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages [JURIST][Court Listener]. A motion for a new trial from Trump is anticipated.