Former President Donald Trump was dealt a major blow in the defamation case against him and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says a key Florida bill will need to be changed.
Trump gets jury decision in defamation case
Former President Donald Trump is on the campaign trail this weekend in Nevada. But across the country in a Manhattan courtroom, a big decision came down.
A jury decided that Trump should pay writer E. Jean Carroll more than $83 million in damages for defamatory statements he made about her in 2019.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours and ultimately awarded Carroll $7 million in emotional harm, $11 million in reputational repair, and $65 million in punitive damages. The award is more than eight times what Carroll asked for.
Last year a separate jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages after they found Trump sexually abused her and then defamed her.
Trump was not in the courtroom when the decision was read, but his attorney spoke afterward.
“He took the stand. He abided by the rules of this corrupt system that I’ve seen," Trump attorney Alina Habba said. "We will immediately appeal, we will set aside that ridiculous jury and I just want to remind you all of one thing: I will continue with President Trump to fight for everybody’s First Amendment right to speak."
Trump also went to his Truth Social account after the ruling to decry the jury's decision.
“Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden directed witch hunt focused on me and the Republican Party,” Trump wrote. “Our legal system is out of control and being used as a political weapon. They have taken away all first amendment rights. This is not America”
In Georgia, Trump’s lawyers want to disqualify Fani Willis from leading the election interference case against him. His team says Willis created a conflict of interest by hiring her romantic partner to help with the case, Nathan Wade.
His lawyers also accuse her of violating state rules when she claimed that racism was behind the efforts to remove her.
Willis hasn’t confirmed nor denied a relationship with Wade, and she has to respond to the motion by next week.
Meanwhile, the Georgia State Senate approved the creation of a special committee to investigate Willis. Six Republicans and three Democrats will have full subpoena power and the ability to require testimony under oath.
DeSantis responds to social media restriction legislation
In Kissimmee this morning, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked if he supported House Bill 1, which would ban social media use for minors younger than 16. The bill has been a priority for House Speaker Paul Renner. DeSantis took the opportunity to not only address the legislation itself, but what successful implementation of that bill would look like.
“Anything I do. I want a pathway for this to actually stick. So we’re going to look through that. So what I would say is I’m sympathetic to, as a parent, what’s going on with our youth. But I also understand that to just say that, you know, someone that’s 15 just cannot have it no matter what, that may create some some legal issues. And so I told the speaker I’d work with them on it. So I would say that, you know, this is something that’s likely going to evolve as it gets through the House and makes its way through the Senate. And we’ll see if we get a product that is going to be something that’s good. But I, I am concerned about the breadth of it, and I want to empower parents. I want to give parents tools to to be able to do this. And so I just think you got to be smart about how you do it,” DeSantis said.
After Wednesday’s passage of HB 1 in the House, it is now in the Senate’s hands for consideration.
Biden to visit Florida
President Joe Biden is coming to visit. He announced he will travel to the Palm Beach and Miami areas on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
The president will participate in two campaign receptions. His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, is making a stop in Florida this weekend as well. She arrives tonight in Tampa and will speak at a fundraiser in Palm Harbor tomorrow.
Lawmakers respond to gun proposal
A call tonight for gun reform in Florida and across the country.
Congresswoman Kathy Castor and State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell both appeared in a virtual call today about what Democrats want to get passed.
And they say they have support from the public and law enforcement.
“I strongly support a ban on assault weapons. When you talk to local law enforcement, they do not want to be outgunned," Castor said. "And so we should re-up the assault weapons ban. We need to work on safe storage of firearms and require background checks for all firearm purchases."
“Poll after poll shows us that the people of Florida overwhelmingly support common sense gun safety reforms," Driskell said. "The people are on our side and they want to be able to go to school, work, shop in church, or just walk through their neighborhoods without the fear of being shot."
Last night we touched on proposed legislation that would roll back some of the gun reforms that were passed in Florida in 2018 after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting.
One of those reforms was raising the age to buy a long-gun from 18 to 21.