The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear President Donald Trump’s appeal of the $5 million civil judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll, leaving intact a jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.
The brief order, issued without explanation or any noted dissent, effectively brings to an end Trump’s challenge to the 2023 verdict in the case.
Supreme Court Declines to Review Appeal
The nation’s highest court rejected Trump’s petition seeking to overturn a Manhattan federal jury’s decision that held him civilly liable in Carroll’s lawsuit.
Because the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, the lower court’s judgment remains in effect, meaning Trump is still responsible for paying the $5 million damages previously awarded to Carroll. The court did not explain its decision, which is standard practice when it declines to hear appeals.
The Case Dates Back to Allegations From the 1990s
Carroll, a former advice columnist for Elle magazine, accused Trump of sexually assaulting her inside a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan during the mid-1990s.
Trump consistently denied the allegation and publicly claimed Carroll fabricated the story.
In 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the civil case, though it did not find him liable for rape under New York’s legal definition that applied to the claim. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.
Appeal Challenged Evidence Used at Trial
Trump’s legal team argued that the trial was unfair because jurors were allowed to hear testimony from other women who accused him of similar misconduct, as well as the 2005 “Access Hollywood” recording.
Attorneys contended that the evidence improperly influenced the jury and asked for a new trial or for the verdict to be overturned.
Federal appellate courts rejected those arguments, concluding the trial judge acted within the law when admitting the evidence. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the appeal leaves those rulings unchanged.
Carroll’s Attorney Calls Decision Final
Following the Supreme Court’s action, Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, described the ruling as the final chapter in the legal dispute over the first civil case.
Trump, meanwhile, criticized the decision on social media and continued to deny Carroll’s allegations, calling the lawsuit politically motivated.
Another Carroll Judgment Still Under Appeal
Although the Supreme Court’s decision ends Trump’s appeal in the $5 million case, it does not resolve a separate civil judgment involving Carroll.
In January 2024, another federal jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages after finding Trump had continued to defame her through statements made after she first accused him.
Trump is continuing to challenge that separate judgment through the federal appeals process, meaning additional litigation between the two sides remains ongoing.
Civil Liability, Not Criminal Conviction
The case was a civil lawsuit rather than a criminal prosecution.
A civil jury found Trump liable under the lower “preponderance of the evidence” standard used in civil court, which differs from the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard required in criminal cases.
With the Supreme Court declining review, the $5 million judgment now stands as the final outcome of that civil action, while the separate $83.3 million defamation award continues to move through the appellate courts.
