LIVE: Jury reaches verdict in suit accusing Trump of rape

NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors reached a verdict Tuesday in the lawsuit accusing former President Donald Trump of raping advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996.

The verdict was to be announced at 3 p.m. in a federal courtroom in New York City.

Word of the verdict emerged just a few hours after the jury began deliberating in the case, which alleges Trump raped Carroll in a luxury Manhattan department store in 1996.

U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan read instructions on the law to the nine-person jury before the panel began discussing Carroll's allegations of battery and defamation shortly before noon.

If they believe Carroll, jurors can award compensatory and punitive damages. Trump, who did not attend the trial, has insisted he never sexually assaulted Carroll or even knew her.

Kaplan told jurors that the first question on the verdict form will be to decide whether they think there is more than a 50% chance that Trump raped Carroll inside a store dressing room. If they answer yes, they will then decide whether compensatory and punitive damages should be awarded.

If they answer no on the rape question, they can then decide if Trump subjected her to lesser forms of assault involving sexual contact without her consent or forcible touching to degrade her or gratify his sexual desire. If they answer yes on either of those q...