The US Supreme Court has rejected for a second time Donald Trump's attempt to overturn a jury verdict in 2023 that found him liable for sexually abusing writer E Jean Carroll, and later defaming her. The decision, announced in an unsigned order on Monday, leaves intact the $5m civil judgment against Trump.
Court's Order and Reaction
The court provided no explanation for its decision, simply listing Trump's petition under "rehearings denied" alongside several other petitions. Roberta Kaplan, Carroll's attorney, said: "We are pleased that the United States supreme court has declined again to hear this case. As a result, the jury's unanimous verdict that Donald Trump sexually assaulted and then defamed E Jean Carroll is now final and cannot be challenged in any court."
Trump, who has repeatedly denied Carroll's allegations, had asked the Supreme Court to review the case in 2025. Carroll's lawyers urged the justices to reject his petition, and in June of this year, the court declined to hear the appeal. Trump's lawyers then requested reconsideration, which was denied on Monday.
Background of the Case
The $5m verdict was returned by a jury after a two-week trial in 2023. Trump deposited the award, along with interest, into a court-held account several weeks after the verdict. In July, after the Supreme Court first declined Trump's appeal, a Manhattan federal judge ordered the funds released. Carroll's legal team said the money, totaling about $5.6m, had been disbursed to her.
In 2024, a three-judge panel at the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld the jury's verdict. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday about the Supreme Court's decision.
Separate Defamation Case
Carroll also brought a separate defamation suit against Trump in 2024, in which a federal jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3m in damages for defaming her in 2019. Trump's lawyers are appealing that ruling to the Supreme Court. According to NBC News, the court is not set to act on that appeal until later this year. Last September, a federal appeals court upheld the $83.3m jury award.
