The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined for the second time to consider an appeal from former President Donald Trump regarding a civil jury's finding of liability for sexual abuse and defamation. The decision leaves in place a 2023 verdict that awarded writer E. Jean Carroll $5 million in damages.
The case originated from allegations by Carroll that Mr. Trump assaulted her in a New York department store dressing room during the 1990s and subsequently defamed her when she published her account in 2019. Mr. Trump has denied the allegations, characterizing them as a "hoax" and questioning Carroll's character.
In the initial 2023 trial, a federal jury consisting of six men and three women deliberated for less than three hours before finding that the evidence supported Carroll's claims. While the jury found Mr. Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, he did not attend that trial and called no witnesses. Following the verdict and accrued interest, Carroll received a total of $5.62 million this summer.
A separate trial in 2024 resulted in a jury awarding Carroll more than $83 million for related defamation claims. Mr. Trump attended much of that second trial and testified briefly. His legal team has separately petitioned the Supreme Court regarding that case, arguing that an appeals panel failed to rule on whether he possessed presidential immunity when making statements about Carroll.
The concrete day-to-day impact for the parties is the finality of the financial transfer and the legal standing of the sexual abuse and defamation findings. While this specific appeal is resolved, a larger financial judgment is still at play. The $83 million award from the 2024 defamation trial represents a significantly larger sum—more than 16 times the amount of the first verdict—which could impact Mr. Trump's personal finances depending on the outcome of his pending immunity claims.
The knock-on effects concern the legal precedent regarding presidential immunity and the finality of civil judgments against former executive officials. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the legal team's argument regarding immunity for the statements made during his presidency. What happens next depends on that pending petition; however, regarding this specific $5 million case, the Supreme Court's refusal to rehear the appeal on Monday serves as the final procedural step in this specific litigation.