Supreme Court Upholds Jury’s $5 Million Award to E. Jean Carroll by Rejecting Trump’s Appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear President Donald Trump’s appeal seeking to overturn a $5 million civil judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll, leaving in place a jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming the longtime journalist. The court issued its decision without comment or any recorded dissent from the justices.

The ruling marks another significant legal setback for Trump, whose lawyers argued that errors during the 2023 federal trial unfairly influenced the jury’s verdict. By refusing to hear the appeal, the Supreme Court allows the decision of the lower courts to stand, effectively ending Trump’s challenge in the case.

Carroll, a former advice columnist for Elle magazine, accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s. Trump repeatedly denied the allegation and claimed he had never met Carroll, prompting her to file civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse and defamation.

Following a two-week trial in 2023, a federal jury concluded that Carroll had proven Trump was liable for sexual abuse and for defaming her through public statements denying her allegations. The jury awarded Carroll approximately $5 million in damages. The jury did not find Trump liable for rape under New York’s narrow legal definition that existed at the time, but it did find him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Trump’s legal team argued before the Supreme Court that the trial judge improperly allowed testimony from two other women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct, as well as the infamous 2005 “Access Hollywood” recording, contending that the evidence unfairly prejudiced the jury.

Carroll’s attorneys responded that the evidence had been properly admitted under federal rules and that lower appellate courts had already concluded any alleged errors did not affect the fairness of the trial. The Supreme Court ultimately declined to review the case, providing no explanation, which is common practice when the court denies petitions.

The $5 million judgment is separate from another defamation case in which a federal jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million after finding that Trump continued to defame her through statements made while denying the allegations after the first verdict.

Trump has denied all allegations and has indicated he intends to continue appealing the larger judgment through the federal court system.

The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the appeal comes as Trump continues serving as president while facing multiple legal challenges stemming from both civil and criminal proceedings.

Legal experts note that the court’s decision does not establish a new legal precedent; rather, it leaves intact the rulings of the lower courts, which found that the trial had been conducted fairly and that sufficient evidence supported the jury’s verdict.

Supporters of Carroll described the ruling as another affirmation of the jury’s findings, while Trump’s legal team maintained that the case was politically motivated and reiterated the president’s denial of Carroll’s allegations.

With the Supreme Court declining to intervene, the $5 million judgment in favor of Carroll now stands as the final outcome of that particular civil case.

Although Trump continues to challenge the separate $83.3 million defamation award, Monday’s decision closes one of the most closely watched legal disputes involving the president, reinforcing the jury’s findings that he was civilly liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll.