The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from Donald Trump regarding a 2023 jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. By refusing to take up the case, the high court left in place the jury’s finding and a $5 million civil judgment against the former president.
The underlying federal lawsuit originated from Carroll’s allegation that Trump assaulted her in a New York City department store dressing room in 1996. The defamation claims involved statements Trump made after his first term in office, during which he characterized Carroll’s accusations as a “hoax” and a “con job.”
In his appeal, Trump’s legal team argued that U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan erred by allowing testimony from other women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct, as well as the admission of the “Access Hollywood” tape. Trump’s lawyers contended these decisions unfairly bolstered the case despite a lack of direct evidence. Conversely, Carroll’s attorneys argued that the evidence was properly admitted to demonstrate prior conduct and that the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had already upheld the verdict, noting that the evidentiary disputes were not a determining factor.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Roberta Kaplan, an attorney for E. Jean Carroll, stated that the ruling affirms the jury’s unanimous verdict and concludes Trump’s efforts to appeal the judgment. Trump criticized the court’s action on social media, vowing to continue fighting the case and describing the proceedings as an “injustice.” A spokesman for his legal team characterized the case as a “travesty.”
This matter is distinct from a separate defamation case involving Trump and Carroll that resulted in an $83.3 million judgment, which remains on appeal as Trump claims presidential immunity.
