Overview

Lewis A. Kaplan is a Senior U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York. He presided over two civil lawsuits brought by writer E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump. In the first trial (May 2023); a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s and for defaming her when he denied the assault and called her a liar. The jury awarded $5 million in damages. In the second trial (January 2024); focused on defamation damages for statements Trump made while president; the jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million. Judge Kaplan's rulings drew fierce criticism from Trump and his supporters; Trump called the proceedings a "hoax" and a "witch hunt." Kaplan held Trump to standard courtroom conduct rules; warning Trump he could be removed from the courtroom for audibly commenting during testimony. Before the Carroll trials; Kaplan had decades of experience with complex civil litigation; including presiding over terrorism financing cases and major securities fraud matters.

Key Affiliations

Controversies & Concerns

Related Investigations (1)

Sources & Documentation

1 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports