The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Donald Trump's appeal of a $5 million civil verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing writer E Jean Carroll and defaming her. The justices offered no explanation or reasoning for the denial, and no public dissents were noted. The decision leaves the 2023 jury verdict intact.
Background of the Case
The case stems from a two-week trial in 2023, where a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll, a former advice columnist for Elle magazine, in the 1990s and later defaming her. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them false.
In 2024, a three-judge panel at the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld the verdict, rejecting Trump's arguments that the trial was unfair because the judge allowed jurors to hear evidence of his past alleged sexual misconduct. Trump then petitioned the Supreme Court in 2025 to review the case, but the justices declined.
Reactions to the Decision
Trump reacted on Truth Social, writing: "Surprisingly, the Supreme Court declined to 'review' a Fake Case brought against me." Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, issued a statement saying: "Today's Supreme Court decision affirms once and for all the jury's unanimous verdict that President Donald J Trump sexually assaulted and defamed E Jean Carroll. His multiple efforts to appeal that verdict have all failed and today's ruling ends his quest to avoid accountability for his actions."
Separate Defamation Case
Carroll also filed a separate defamation suit against Trump, resulting in a 2024 jury award of $83.3 million for defamatory statements Trump made in 2019. Trump's lawyers are currently appealing that ruling and have indicated they intend to ask the Supreme Court to hear that appeal as well. In September 2024, a federal appeals court upheld the $83.3 million award. Trump is challenging it on several grounds, including asserting "absolute immunity" for comments he made while president, according to the Associated Press.
In May 2024, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump does not have to pay the $83.3 million judgment until the Supreme Court either reviews the case or declines to take it up. However, the court required Trump to increase the bond by $7.46 million to cover interest accruing during further proceedings.
