In New York, rape has a new legal meaning

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     January 31, 2024 Yesterday, a law passed in New York that you may not have heard about—and it's related to an issue that came up during former President Donald Trump's legal battle with E. Jean Carroll. The “Rape Is Rape" bill [expands]( the state's definition of rape beyond penile penetration to include nonconsensual anal, oral, and vaginal sexual contact. As my colleague Katie Herchenroeder [has written](, the previous version of the law was a key component of the courtroom showdown between Carroll and Trump that resulted in the former president being [ordered to pay]( her more than $83 million for defamation after a jury found him liable for sexual assault. Here's how, from Katie's [most recent story](: In May, a jury sided with Carroll and said that Trump had sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan dressing room. Carroll has [held]( throughout the case that Trump used both his fingers and his penis in this assault. But the jury did not side in favor of the latter claim. Under the old language in New York’s penal code, this meant the initial jurors could not say Trump raped Carroll. Trump took advantage of the old language by filing [counterclaims]( against Carroll in June, saying that she had defamed him by continuing to use the word “rape” when a jury had found him liable not for that, but for sexual assault. The judge dismissed Trump's counterclaims. And, as Katie recently [reported](, the judge in that case also went to great lengths to make clear to the jury that Trump raped Carroll in the way that most people understand the word "rape," which was beyond the bounds of New York's antiquated definition. After New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill into law yesterday, she, too, acknowledged Carroll's experience: "Though she couldn’t be here with us today, I want to take a moment to recognize E. Jean Carroll for her courageous efforts to make sure justice was done.” —Julianne McShane Advertisement [Innovation for the Masses]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [New York State Passes Law That Could Have Counted Trump’s Actions as Rape]( Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law broadening the definition of rape beyond penile penetration. BY KATIE HERCHENROEDER MOJO MUST-READS BY DANIEL SCHULMAN   The Money Kings: The Epic Story of the Jewish Immigrants Who Transformed Wall Street and Shaped Modern America The incredible saga of the German-Jewish immigrants—with now familiar names like Goldman and Sachs, Kuhn and Loeb, Warburg and Schiff, Lehman and Seligman—who profoundly influenced the rise of modern finance (and so much more), from Mother Jones Deputy DC Bureau Chief and New York Times best-selling author Daniel Schulman. [Get The Money Kings here.]( [Trending] [Shocker: Fossil fuel industry knew of profound climate risks in the 1950s]( BY OLIVER MILMAN   [Do Democrats hear themselves?]( BY INAE OH   [Anti-vax influencer Stew Peters has a new fixation: "the Jews"]( BY KIERA BUTLER   [A "political stunt": House Republicans move forward with impeachment of Mayorkas]( BY ISABELA DIAS Advertisement [Innovation for the Masses]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Why the right-wing conspiracy theory about Taylor Swift is good for American democracy]( It's showing Swifties and others that crazy conspiracism is fundamental for MAGA-land. BY DAVID CORN [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755