Carroll Verdict Upheld
Supreme Court declines Trump's appeal in E. Jean Carroll $5 million defamation verdict, upholding judgment.
Key Points
Trump paid the $5 million Carroll judgment plus accrued interest, bringing the total to about $5.62 million this summer after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in June.
The separate $83.3 million defamation verdict remains under review before the Supreme Court; Trump's lawyers argue presidential immunity for statements made in 2019, but the high court has not acted on that appeal yet.
The Carroll case centers on an alleged 1990s encounter at Bergdorf Goodman; a 2023 civil verdict found Trump liable for defaming Carroll when he denied the allegations in 2019.
The Court’s latest denial came in an unsigned order, marking the second refusal to revisit the case and underscoring the rarity of grants of reconsideration.
The Supreme Court has again rejected President Donald Trump's bid to undo a $5 million verdict in favor of E. Jean Carroll, CNN reported. The unsigned order marks the second time the justices have refused to revisit the case, keeping Carroll's legal win firmly in place.
Trump has already paid the judgment. With accrued interest, the total came to about $5.62 million, according to CNN. A separate $83.3 million defamation verdict remains under appeal, but that case is still working its way through the courts.
How a 1990s Encounter Led to Two Verdicts
Carroll says Trump sexually abused her at Bergdorf Goodman in New York in the mid-1990s. Trump denied the allegations and called them a hoax. A civil jury in 2023 found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million, according to The Globe and Mail.
A second trial followed. That jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million after finding he continued to defame Carroll with statements made in 2019. Trump denies all wrongdoing and has appealed both verdicts.
Supreme Court Twice Refuses to Touch the $5 Million Award
The justices turned down Trump's first appeal of the $5 million verdict in June. He asked again, and the court said no a second time. The ruling came as a brief, unsigned order — no explanation, no dissent noted, according to CNN.
Legal experts say it is rare for the Supreme Court to grant reconsideration requests. The back-to-back refusals signal the justices have no interest in reopening the case, The Sun Sentinel noted.
Trump's Immunity Argument Has Not Swayed Any Court
Trump's lawyers argue he made the 2019 statements while serving as president, which should give him immunity from the defamation claims. No court has accepted that argument so far. The Supreme Court has not yet acted on the immunity question tied to the larger $83.3 million verdict, according to CNN.
Carroll's attorneys are pushing to make sure both judgments are fully enforceable. Trump has already paid the $5.62 million figure, which includes interest that piled up during the appeals process, The Globe and Mail reported.
What Comes Next for the $83 Million Case
The bigger verdict — $83.3 million — is still being appealed. Trump's team wants the Supreme Court to step in on the immunity question. But the high court has given no sign it will take up the case, according to The Sun Sentinel.
For now, Carroll has collected on the first judgment. Her legal team expects the second to hold as well. Each court rejection leaves Trump with fewer options and Carroll's multiyear legal fight closer to a final conclusion, CNN reported.
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