Supreme Court again rebuffs Trump’s push to toss out $5 million verdict in E. Jean Carroll case

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to overturn President Donald Trump's $5 million judgment in the E. Jean Carroll case. In the mid-1990s, the writer claimed that Trump sexually abused her at a New York City department store. The jury found Trump guilty of defaming Carroll after denying her allegations in 2022. Trump's legal team had asked the justices to reconsider their decision to not hear his appeal.

However, the court denied his petition along with several others. It is rare for the court to grant such requests. Trump had already paid the judgment shortly after the court rejected his appeal in June. Trump and the Justice Department are also seeking the high court to dismiss a $83 million verdict against him, arguing that he is immune from lawsuits over his comments about Carroll, made in 2019 when he was president.

Carroll, a long-time advice columnist and former TV talk show host, testified at a 2023 trial that Trump turned a casual encounter into a violent attack in Bergdorf Goodman's dressing room, located near Trump Tower in Manhattan. The jury's unanimous decision found Trump guilty of sexually assaulting and defaming Carroll, and her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, stated that the verdict is now final and cannot be challenged in any court.

The Associated Press does not identify individuals who allege sexual assault unless they make the claim publicly, as Carroll has done.