The nation’s highest court on Monday denied President Donald Trump’s bid to overturn a jury’s $5 million verdict that he sexually assaulted and then defamed longtime advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. The decision means the judgment is now final and cannot be challenged in any lower court.
Background of the case
Carroll, a former television talk‑show host, testified at a 2023 trial that Trump turned a friendly encounter in the mid‑1990s at the Manhattan department store Bergdorf Goodman into a violent attack in a dressing‑room. After a trial in New York, a jury found Trump liable for both the sexual assault and for defamation when he denied the allegation in 2022. The jury’s verdict was unanimous, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages.
Trump’s legal strategy
Trump’s lawyers filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to reconsider its earlier refusal to hear the appeal, a move that is rare but not unprecedented. The court denied the petition along with several others, effectively leaving the lower‑court judgment intact. Earlier, after the court declined to take up his appeal in June, Trump paid the $5 million judgment.
In addition to the $5 million case, Trump and the Justice Department are seeking to have the Supreme Court dismiss a second Carroll verdict totaling $83 million. That judgment stems from Trump’s statements about Carroll in 2019, when he was president, which the plaintiffs argue constitute defamation. The court has not yet ruled on that separate appeal.
Reactions
Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, welcomed the decision, stating, “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 continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Implications
The ruling underscores the Supreme Court’s reluctance to intervene in cases where lower courts have already rendered a final judgment. It also highlights the ongoing legal battles surrounding the former president’s statements and alleged conduct. While the $5 million judgment is now enforceable, the larger $83 million defamation verdict remains pending before the high court.
The Associated Press notes that it does not identify individuals who claim sexual assault unless they have spoken publicly, as Carroll has done.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
