Supreme Court Declines to Hear Trump’s Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Sexual Abuse Case

The Supreme Court of the United States has declined to hear former President Donald Trump’s appeal of a civil verdict finding him liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll. By denying certiorari, the nation's highest court has effectively brought an end to Trump’s legal efforts to overturn the May 2023 jury decision in this specific case. The high court's order means Trump must now fulfill the $5 million (£3.6 million) judgment awarded to Carroll, cementing a significant legal defeat for the former president as he continues to navigate a complex web of civil and criminal proceedings.

The legal battle stems from allegations made by Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan during the mid-1990s. When Carroll went public with her allegations in 2019, Trump dismissed her claims as a politically motivated "hoax" and asserted that she was "not my type." Carroll subsequently filed a civil lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily opened a window for victims of sexual offenses to file civil claims regardless of the statute of limitations. A federal jury in Manhattan ultimately found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, though they did not find him liable for rape under the specific technical definition of New York state law at the time.

Key Elements of the Legal Judgment

• The Damages: The nine-member federal jury awarded Carroll $2 million for the sexual abuse claim and $3 million for the defamation claim.
• The Appeals Process: Trump’s legal team petitioned both the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, arguing that the trial judge made prejudicial rulings and that the damages were excessive.
• The Supreme Court Decision: By refusing to take up the case, the justices let the lower court's decision stand, exhausting Trump's standard appellate options for this trial.

Throughout the appeals, Trump’s lawyers argued that the judicial process was flawed, claiming that the trial court erred by admitting testimony from other women who accused Trump of historical sexual misconduct. Conversely, Carroll's legal team, led by attorney Roberta Kaplan, consistently maintained that the jury’s verdict was supported by overwhelming evidence and should remain undisturbed.

Notably, this $5 million award is separate from a subsequent civil defamation trial in January 2024, in which a different jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll an additional $83.3 million for disparaging remarks he made about her while serving as president. Trump is separately appealing that larger judgment, but the Supreme Court's latest decision finalizes his financial liability in the initial $5 million lawsuit.