In a repeated rejection of U.S. President Donald Trump’s appeal, the United States Supreme Court has declined to review a $5 million verdict awarded to E. Jean Carroll after she accused him of sexual abuse and defamation. The court dismissed Trump’s plea for reconsideration of their earlier decision in June, which upheld the 2023 jury ruling that he had mistreated Carroll in a Manhattan store dressing room in the 1990s. Trump’s legal team argued that the trial had been unjust.
The court’s decision, delivered without elaboration, is rare as requests for reconsideration are seldom granted. Additionally, the justices are currently deliberating on Trump’s appeal of an $83.3 million defamation verdict from 2019, where he disputed Carroll’s accusations during his presidency.
Trump’s lawyers contend that his status as president should shield him from Carroll’s allegations, and they argue that the lower courts erred in rejecting this defense. The legal battle between Trump and Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, began in 2019 when she claimed Trump had raped her in the 1990s.
The case that resulted in the $5 million verdict revolved around Trump’s statements in 2022, where he labeled Carroll’s accusation as a “hoax” and a “con job” on social media. While the jury found Trump guilty of sexual abuse and defamation, they did not side with Carroll’s rape allegation.
After the Supreme Court’s refusal in June, Carroll received nearly $5.63 million from Trump, inclusive of the initial $5 million verdict plus interest. Trump’s legal team highlighted the significance of presidential immunity in this case and its potential impact on the 2023 verdict.
In a key 2024 ruling, the Supreme Court established that former presidents enjoy complete immunity from criminal prosecution for actions conducted within their constitutional presidential powers. The Carroll lawsuits, however, pertain to civil matters.