Trump Appeals to Supreme Court Over E. Jean Carroll Sexual Abuse and Defamation Verdict

Donald Trump is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a $5 million civil verdict that found he sexually abused and defamed magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll. The move marks his latest legal effort to challenge a case that has spanned several years and resulted in multiple court losses.

Last year, a federal appeals court upheld the jury’s verdict and the $5 million judgment, rejecting Trump’s claims that the trial was mishandled. The ruling stated the trial judge, Lewis Kaplan, did not make errors that warranted a new proceeding. Trump previously lost a bid to have the full appeals court reconsider that decision.

In the Supreme Court filing, Trump’s attorneys argue that the trial included prejudicial evidence, such as testimony from two other women who accused him of sexual assault and the 2005 “Access Hollywood” recording, in which he boasted about groping women.

Carroll’s lawsuit accused Trump of assaulting her in a New York department store during the mid-1990s and later defaming her in 2019 by denying the allegations and questioning her motives.

In the appeal, Trump’s legal team said there were no witnesses, video evidence, or police reports, claiming Carroll waited decades to make her accusation for political and financial reasons.

A separate jury also found Trump liable for defaming Carroll again in 2022, awarding her $83 million in damages. A federal appeals court recently upheld that larger award, describing it as “reasonable in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts.”

The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether it will hear Trump’s appeal, but it may not be the last time the justices are asked to weigh in on legal issues surrounding the Carroll cases.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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