Supreme Court Declines to Hear Trump Appeal in Carroll Case; Separate $83 Million Verdict Still on Appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear President Trump's appeal of a 2023 jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll. The justices issued a brief, unexplained order with no noted dissents.

A unanimous federal jury found by a preponderance of evidence that Trump sexually abused and defamed Carroll in a mid-1990s encounter in a New York City department store. Carroll first made her allegations public in 2019 and filed the federal lawsuit in Manhattan in 2022 under a New York state law that extended the time for survivors of sexual assault to bring claims.

A jury of six men and three women deliberated less than three hours before awarding Carroll $5 million.

Trump did not attend the trial and his attorneys called no witnesses. Trump's lawyers argued that the trial judge improperly allowed testimony from two other women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct and permitted jurors to view the "Access Hollywood" video. They said those rulings violated federal evidence rules and propped up Carroll's claims with "highly inflammatory" material.

Carroll's attorneys countered that the evidence was relevant to show a pattern of conduct and that the appeals court had already determined it did not change the outcome. A second federal jury in January 2024 found Trump liable for additional defamatory statements and awarded Carroll $83.3 million. That judgment remains on appeal and is not before the Supreme Court.

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals denied Trump's appeal in December 2024 and rejected an en banc review request in June 2025. "This mistreatment of a President cannot be allowed to stand," Attorney Justin D. Smith stated in a court filing.