E. Jean Carroll's win in her suit against former President Trump is a victory for a #MeToo-era New York law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on sexual abuse complaints. Carroll's success likely will lead to more litigation — victims have until November 2023 to file civil lawsuits against their alleged abusers — and possibly more state laws modeled on New York's, reports Axios. If someone was previously on the fence about coming forward, Carroll's $5 million verdict on Tuesday could push them to move ahead, said Jacob Eidinger of Crumiller, a feminist law firm that handles such cases. "That Carroll took on a former president with virtually unlimited resources and power to trial — and won — is hugely reassuring for other survivors who are scared they won't be believed."
"This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed," Carroll said. Carroll filed suit last November as soon as New York's law went into effect. Modeled on legislation that allowed those who experienced abuse as children to file lawsuits, the Adult Survivors Act opened a one-year window to allow survivors of sexual assault to file civil lawsuits against abusers and any institutions that may have protected them. There are other new laws — federal and state — that make it easier for victims of sexual assault and workplace sexual harassment to seek justice. "It's just a time when silencing women is not tolerated in the way it used to be," said Nancy Erika Smith, an employment lawyer who represented former Fox host Gretchen Carlson in her lawsuit against former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. Last year Congress passed a law banning forced arbitration in cases of sexual harassment and assault — meaning employers can no longer push lawsuits into private courtrooms that are more shielded from public view.