The United States Supreme Court, for the second time, rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s appeal regarding a $5 million US verdict favoring E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexual abuse and defamation. Trump’s appeal stemmed from a 2023 jury verdict where he was found liable for the alleged assault in a Manhattan store in the 1990s. The court’s decision, made without explanation, is a rare occurrence as the Supreme Court seldom reconsiders requests.
Apart from this case, the justices are also deliberating on Trump’s appeal against an $83.3 million US jury verdict for defaming Carroll during his presidency in 2019. Trump’s legal team argues that presidential immunity shields him from Carroll’s accusations and contests lower courts’ rulings on this matter.
The ongoing legal battle between Trump and Carroll began in 2019 when Carroll, a former advice columnist for Elle magazine, accused Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s. Trump has consistently denied the allegations over the years.
In the case leading to the $5 million US verdict, Trump was found to have defamed Carroll in 2022 by dismissing her claims as a “hoax” and a “con job” on social media. The jurors determined that Trump had sexually abused and defamed Carroll but did not find evidence to support the rape allegation she made.
Following the Supreme Court’s rejection of Trump’s appeal in June, Carroll received nearly $5.63 million US from Trump, which included the original $5 million US verdict plus interest. Trump’s legal team highlighted the issue of presidential immunity, a factor that could influence both the 2023 and 2024 verdicts in the ongoing legal saga. The Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling on presidential immunity clarified that former presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for actions taken during their term, while the Carroll cases remain civil lawsuits.