NEW YORK (AP) — A juror’s illness forced the postponement for at least a day Monday of a defamation trial where former President Donald Trump had been expected to tell a jury why he for years has spoken so disparagingly about E. Jean Carroll — the writer who claims he sexually assaulted her in the 1990s.

As he did twice last week, Trump arrived at Manhattan federal court in his motorcade for the resumption of the penalty phase of a defamation trial over his 2019 comments branding Carroll a liar who faked a sexual attack to sell a memoir.

But Judge Lewis A. Kaplan announced shortly before 10 a.m. that one of nine jurors was told to go home and take a coronavirus test after he reported feeling ill.

Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, also reported that at least one of her parents has COVID-19 and she exhibited symptoms of a fever in the last two days after having dinner with them several days ago. She tested negative for the virus on Monday, though.

In the courtroom on Monday, Trump was not wearing a protective mask.

After Kaplan announced the trial would be postponed for at least a day, Habba asked if Trump’s testimony could be delayed until Wednesday because of the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. The judge did not immediately rule.

Because a different jury found last year that Trump sexually abused Carroll, Kaplan has ruled that if the former president takes the stand now, he won’t be allowed to say she concocted her allegation or that she was motivated by financial or political considerations.

Last week, the voluble ex-president and current Republican front-runner sat at the defense table while Carroll testified, complaining to his lawyers about a “witch hunt” and a “con job” loudly enough that the judge threatened to throw Trump out of the courtroom if he kept it up. Trump piped down and stayed in court, then held a news conference where he deplored the “nasty judge.”

“It’s a disgrace, frankly, what’s happening,” Trump told reporters, repeating his claim that Carroll’s allegation was “a made-up, fabricated story.”

Besides tangling with Kaplan, Trump bucked the New York state judge in his recent civil business fraud trial involving claims that he inflated his wealth. Trump, who denies any wrongdoing, delivered a brief closing argument of sorts without committing to rules for summations and assailed the judge from the witness stand. He also was fined a total of $15,000 for what the judge deemed violations of a gag order concerning comments about court staffers. Trump’s attorneys are appealing the order.

In Carroll’s case, her lawyers have implored the judge to make Trump swear, before any testimony, that he understands and accepts the court’s restrictions on what he can say.

“There are any number of reasons why Mr. Trump might perceive a personal or political benefit from intentionally turning this trial into a circus,” attorney Roberta Kaplan wrote in a letter to the judge, who is no relation.

Trump is contending with four criminal cases as well as the civil fraud case and Carroll’s lawsuit as the presidential primary season gets into gear. He has been juggling court and campaign appearances, using both to argue that he’s being persecuted by Democrats terrified of his possible election.

Trump is expected to travel after Monday’s court session to an evening campaign event in New Hampshire, which holds its Republican presidential primary Tuesday.

His trips to court at times also have amplified media coverage of developments that he likes — such as an accounting professor’s testimony for Trump’s defense in the fraud trial — and his criticisms of developments that he doesn’t.

He regularly addressed the news cameras waiting outside the fraud trial in a New York state court. Cameras aren’t allowed in the federal courthouse where the Carroll trial is taking place, so he at one point left and held a news conference at one of his New York buildings even as his accuser continued testifying against him.

“I’m here because Donald Trump assaulted me, and when I wrote about it, he said it never happened. He lied, and he shattered my reputation,” Carroll, a former longtime Elle magazine advice columnist, told jurors and Trump while he was still in court.

Trump doesn’t have to attend or give testimony in the civil case. He stayed away last year from the prior trial, where a different jury awarded Carroll $5 million after deciding that Trump sexually abused her in 1996 and made defamatory comments about her in 2022. Trump is appealing that verdict.

For complex legal reasons, Carroll’s defamation claims were divided between two lawsuits. Hence the second trial, where she’s seeking over $10 million in damages.

Trump has said his lawyers advised him not to dignify the first trial by attending it. He’s attending the second one, he’s said, because of what he views as the judge’s animus.

Habba told the court in a letter that he might take the stand because, even with the judge’s restrictions, “he can still offer considerable testimony in his defense.”

Among other things, he can testify about his state of mind when he made the statements that got him sued and about how his comments came as Carroll was doing media interviews and journalists were asking him about her, Habba wrote.

She also suggested he could “show his lack of ill will or spite” by talking about how he “corrected” his initial denial of having ever met Carroll.

The revision happened after a reporter called Trump’s attention to a 1987 photo of him, Carroll and their then-spouses at a charity event. Trump responded that he was “standing with my coat on in a line — give me a break.”

The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll has done.

ROSEVILLE, Calif. (Gray News) – A woman in California was arrested for stealing 65 Stanley tumblers valued at nearly $2,500, police said.

According to the Roseville Police Department, officers responded to a call for a theft at a store on Wednesday afternoon.

Store employees told police they saw a woman walk out of the store with “a shopping cart full of Stanley water bottles” without paying for them.

Employees said the woman refused to stop for staff, put the stolen cups in her car, and drove off.

The employees were able to give officers a description of the suspect’s vehicle, and an officer spotted it nearby and pulled the vehicle over.

Inside the vehicle, the officer found 65 Stanley products valued at nearly $2,500.

Police arrested the driver on charges of grand theft. She was identified as a 23-year-old from Sacramento.

“While Stanley Quenchers are all the rage, we strongly advise against turning to crime to fulfill your hydration habits,” the Roseville Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - A man is injured following a shots fired call outside a Laredo sports bar

The incident was reported on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2024, at the 5300 block of San Dario at around 11:30 p.m.

According to the Laredo Police, a group of men began to argue, which escalated into a physical fight which resulted in the men being escorted out of the establishment.

Once the men were outside, two of them got into a vehicle, circled back as the other pair of men were getting into a car and discharged a firearm twice towards the ground.

A 39-year-old man was injured in the abdomen.

He was treated on the scene while the suspects fled.

No life-threatening injuries were reported and no arrests have been made in this case at this time.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A two-car collision is reported Monday morning at a busy city intersection.

Authorities are reporting a two-vehicle accident by Cuatro Vientos and Hwy 359.

According to the Laredo Police Department, the crash resulted in the closure of eastbound lanes on 359.

As of 9:00 a.m., crews were seen directing traffic and cleaning up the area.

Laredo Police are urging drivers to exercise caution and anticipate delays if traveling in the area.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) -Gulf air is flowing above our polar air. This is a cold wet combination. A wave in the upper level wind flow approaching from the west may produce rising motion to form tall rain clouds late tonight. Thunder is possible. Warm air from the gulf may be able to nudge west into our area Monday afternoon with temperatures rising into the high 50′s to low 60′s. A slow warming trend will continue into the coming week. 

LAREDO, Tx (KGNS) - A multiple vehicle crash is reported on the northbound lane of I-35 near Jefferson Street.

The crash happened on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, at around 3:40 p.m.

No word on how many vehicles were involved exactly, but video shows two vehicles damaged at the scene.

Laredo police were seen assisting those involved in the crash.

No word on any injuries at the moment.

Drivers are being asked to proceed with caution.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - Fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. It has also become a major contributor to fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the U.S.

In Laredo and Webb County, the number of fatal overdoses relating to fentanyl are on the rise.

With the intention of reducing the amount of overdose cases in our community, law enforcement held a press conference to inform the public about what they are seeing as well as the penalties that come along with distributing the drug.

On Friday, Jan. 19, new information was released by the Laredo Police Department on overdose related deaths.

In 2023, authorities confirmed it was 66 overdose deaths rather than initially reported of 65 and during the first week of 2024, the Laredo Police have confirmed a total of four overdose deaths.

With just one month into the new year, Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez said so far there has been 58 federal and state search warrants, 23 arrests, and two indictments liked to overdose cases.

Chief Rodriguez said they plan to tackle these cases by bringing more law enforcement agencies to its task force.

As of Sept. 1, 2023, a new Texas law went into effect which states a person can be charged with murder if they supply or distribute fentanyl that leads to a death.

Albrecht Riepen from the Webb and Zapata County District Attorney’s Office said as of Friday morning, no one has been charged with murder relating to supplying or distributing fentanyl that’s led to death here locally.

“The charge is called manufactured liberty in result in death or result in bodily injury and it increases the drug offense in one penalty level,” said Riepen. “So if you give someone less than a gram, that is a stage one felony, but if it causes bodily injury or death. Then it’s a third-degree felony.”

If convicted, Riepen said, the person could spend up to 20 or 99 years in prison.

Also, Sheriff Martin Cuellar stated that in 2023, seven people died of overdose within Webb County but several others were saved due to applying narcan or other life-saving techniques.