Supreme Court Rejects Donald Trump's Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Sex Abuse Case
The United States Supreme Court has refused to consider Donald Trump's appeal in the defamation and sexual abuse case brought by E. Jean Carroll. This decision effectively upholds the lower court rulings against the former president, who has already disbursed more than $5 million in damages to Ms. Carroll.
Trump had sought to challenge a federal appeals court's refusal to shield him from Ms. Carroll's 2019 defamation lawsuit. His legal team contended that he was acting in his official capacity as president when he publicly denied Ms. Carroll's claims of sexual assault. This argument was rejected by both the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, paving the way for the original defamation suit to proceed.
Ms. Carroll initially sued Trump in 2019 after he denied her accusations of sexual assault, which she alleged occurred in a New York department store in the mid-1990s. A jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Ms. Carroll $5 million. Following further defamatory statements by Trump, a second jury in January ordered him to pay an additional $83.3 million for defaming Ms. Carroll after the initial verdict. The Supreme Court's latest decision means the legal battles stemming from these allegations are nearing their conclusion, with Trump's attempts to evade liability ultimately unsuccessful.
