Judge dismissive of Trump's reasons to skip NY rape trial

A federal judge says he won't let former President Donald Trump's lawyers tell jurors next week that he wants to attend a rape trial but won't because he wants to spare New York City from the disruptions his visit would cause. In a Thursday order, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejected a request by a Trump lawyer that he tell jurors that Trump is staying away to spare the city and court system from logistical burdens. The civil trial stems from columnist E. Jean Carroll's allegations that Trump raped her in 1995 or 1996 in an upscale department store dressing room. Trump denies a rape occurred.