Trump’s Final Appeal Comes to an End
The United States Supreme Court has refused to hear President Donald Trump’s appeal in the civil case involving writer E. Jean Carroll. The decision ends Trump’s last legal effort to overturn a jury verdict that found he sexually abused and defamed Carroll.
A New York jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages in 2023. Jurors concluded that Trump sexually abused her during an incident in the 1990s and later defamed her by calling her accusations a hoax on social media.
Court Declines to Revisit Jury’s Verdict
Trump’s legal team argued that the original trial included evidence that unfairly influenced the jury. They specifically objected to the use of the 2005 Access Hollywood recording, in which Trump made controversial comments about women.
Despite those arguments, a federal appeals court ruled last year that the trial had been fair and that there was no reason to hold a new one. Trump then asked the Supreme Court to intervene.
However, the nation’s highest court declined to take up the case and did not provide an explanation, which is standard practice.
As a result, the original verdict remains in place, and Trump must pay the $5 million awarded to Carroll.
Carroll’s Legal Team Welcomes the Decision
Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision. She said the ruling confirms the jury’s finding that Trump sexually assaulted and defamed her.
Kaplan added that Trump’s repeated attempts to overturn the verdict had failed and that the decision finally brings accountability.
Trump Vows to Continue Fighting
Following the ruling, Trump criticized the case in a lengthy post on Truth Social. He described the lawsuit as a politically motivated attack and called it an example of “weaponization” and “lawfare.”
He also claimed that New York lawmakers created legislation specifically to target him and argued that the case represented an injustice.
Trump insisted that he would continue fighting against what he considers unfair treatment.
Another Defamation Case Still Stands
The case has also led to another major legal setback for Trump. In a separate defamation lawsuit, a different jury ordered him to pay Carroll $83 million for comments he made after the first verdict.
An appeals court previously rejected his attempt to overturn that judgment as well.
Although the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, it did not agree with Carroll’s claim of rape under New York’s legal definition.
Background of the Lawsuit
E. Jean Carroll, a former magazine columnist who is now 81 years old, accused Trump of attacking her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.
She later filed a lawsuit after Trump publicly denied her allegations and attacked her credibility on social media.
With the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the appeal, one of the most high-profile civil cases involving the president has now reached its conclusion.
