Supreme Court declines to rehear Trump’s appeal in $5 million E. Jean Carroll case
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Supreme Court Declines to Rehear Trump’s Carroll Appeal
Wertynews.com – The Supreme Court declines to rehear President Trump’s bid to overturn a $5 million jury verdict in the E. Jean Carroll sexual-abuse and defamation case. In an unsigned order issued Monday, the justices refused — for the second time — to grant certiorari, effectively leaving the lower-court ruling intact. The decision reaffirms the position the Court had already signaled in June when it first turned down the appeal, and it closes the door on any further judicial challenge to the verdict at this level.
What Happened at Trial
A federal civil jury in New York reached its verdict in 2023 after a trial centered on Carroll’s account that, during the 1990s, Trump forcibly penetrated her with his fingers inside a department-store changing room. Carroll went public with the story in 2019. The jury, composed of six men and three women, deliberated for fewer than three hours before returning a unanimous finding that the evidence more likely than not supported her claims.
By the time the matter wrapped up this summer, Carroll had collected $5.62 million, a total that factored in interest accrued over the years since trial. Trump has consistently rejected Carroll’s account, branding it a “hoax” and casting doubt on her character. He sent no witnesses to the first trial and did not appear in court himself. Those denials formed the backbone of the defamation counts in that case and also fed into a separate 2024 proceeding.
The Second Trial and the Immunity Question
In the later 2024 trial, Trump sat for much of the proceedings and offered brief testimony. He walked out minutes before the jury returned a verdict awarding Carroll more than $83 million on related defamation counts. Her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, had urged the jurors to set a figure large enough to
“make him stop” defaming her client.
When Trump’s lawyers carried the matter to the Supreme Court, they argued that the appeals panel had failed to address whether presidential immunity shielded the statements he made about Carroll. The justices have not yet ruled on that particular effort. Following Monday’s order, a spokesman for Trump’s legal team circulated a statement the group has deployed repeatedly throughout the summer regarding the Carroll matters, describing them as the
“Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes.”
Because the Supreme Court declines to rehear the appeal, the Second Circuit’s judgment stands and Carroll’s recovery remains enforceable. The immunity question that Trump’s team pressed will have to await a different vehicle or a future term before any court can weigh it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean when the Supreme Court declines to rehear a case? It means the justices voted not to grant certiorari, so the lower-court decision becomes final. No opinion is written, and the ruling below is left undisturbed unless another avenue of review exists.
Can Trump appeal the Carroll verdict again? He may petition the Supreme Court once more, but the Court has already signaled twice that it will not take the case. A new petition would need to present a substantially different legal question to have any realistic chance of being granted.
What happens to the $5.62 million judgment now? With the appeal exhausted, the judgment is enforceable. Carroll’s attorneys can pursue collection through standard post-judgment remedies if payment has not been made in full.
Does this decision resolve the presidential-immunity question? No. The Court declined to reach the immunity argument, leaving that issue open for a future case or a different procedural posture.
