The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear former President Donald Trump’s appeal concerning a $5 million sexual abuse and defamation judgment in favor of writer E. Jean Carroll. The decision marks the end of his legal challenge to that specific civil verdict, which was reached in a Manhattan federal court.
The court did not provide a comment or explain its reasoning for rejecting the petition. The denial was listed among routine orders, bringing a definitive close to this particular appeal. Trump had sought the intervention as a long-shot request for the justices to revisit the lower court’s ruling.
The judgment stems from a jury’s finding in May 2023 that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. The jury also found that he defamed her when he denied the assault and accused her of fabricating the story. Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages under that verdict.
Trump’s legal team argued that the case raised significant constitutional questions regarding presidential immunity. They contended that statements made by Trump while he was president should have been shielded from defamation claims. The lower courts, however, rejected that argument, noting that Trump’s conduct fell outside the scope of his official duties.
The denial from the Supreme Court was not unanimous, with some justices signaling they would have granted the case. Still, the action aligns with the court’s general practice of rarely taking up appeals that challenge the factual findings of a jury. Legal experts noted that the evidence presented at trial was substantial.
In a separate legal matter, Trump has also asked the Supreme Court to overturn a much larger award from 2024. That case involves an additional defamation judgment against him, with a jury ordering him to pay Carroll $83.3 million. The appeal concerning that verdict remains pending before the high court.
Carroll’s legal team celebrated the latest ruling, stating that accountability has been upheld. Their statement emphasized the jury’s role in delivering justice for survivors of sexual assault. Trump’s representatives have continued to assert his innocence, maintaining that he will appeal the second judgment if necessary.
The Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene does not create a new precedent but reinforces legal boundaries around presidential statements made in a private capacity. With this appeal exhausted, the focus now shifts entirely to the remaining 2024 judgment. The outcome of that case will determine the total financial liability Trump faces in his long-running legal dispute with Carroll.
