Supreme Court Declines Trump’s Appeal in Carroll Case

The Supreme Court rejected a request from former President Donald Trump to discard a $5 million jury ruling. This decision found Trump responsible for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and subsequently defaming her.

Trump sought to overturn the earlier decision where the court refused to hear his appeal. The justices dismissed this petition along with several others. Although not common, such requests can be granted by the court.

After the initial appeal was denied in June, Trump settled the judgment. Currently, Trump and the Justice Department are pressing the Supreme Court to dismiss another verdict involving Carroll, amounting to $83 million. They contend that comments made by Trump in 2019 should not be subject to legal action due to his presidential position at the time. The court has yet to decide on this appeal.

Carroll, well-known for her advice column and former television hosting, testified in a 2023 trial. She described a violent incident with Trump in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room during the 1990s. Located opposite Trump Tower in Manhattan, the luxury retailer became the setting for this alleged assault. In 2022, the jury determined Trump defamed Carroll when he denied her allegation. Trump maintains he committed no wrongdoing.

The Associated Press ensures the anonymity of sexual assault victims unless they choose to disclose their identity publicly, as Carroll has chosen to do.