The United States Supreme Court has declined to hear President Donald Trump’s appeal challenging a jury verdict that found him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, leaving intact the $5 million damages award against him.
The decision, issued on Monday, effectively ends Trump’s bid to overturn the landmark judgment handed down by a federal jury in New York.
The nation’s highest court rejected the appeal without providing an explanation, a common practice when it declines to review a case.
The ruling means the original verdict remains in force, requiring Trump to pay Carroll $5 million in damages for sexual assault and defamation.
The case stems from allegations that Trump sexually assaulted Carroll inside the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in 1996 before later publicly denying the accusation and attacking her credibility.
On May 9, 2023, a federal civil jury in Manhattan concluded that Trump was liable for sexually assaulting Carroll and defaming her through his public statements denying the incident. The jury subsequently awarded the former magazine columnist $5 million in compensatory damages.
Trump sought to have the judgment overturned, arguing that legal errors had affected the outcome of the trial.
However, by refusing to hear the appeal, the Supreme Court allowed the lower court’s ruling to stand, bringing one of the most closely watched civil cases involving the US president to a close.
As is customary in many such cases, the Supreme Court did not explain its reasons for declining to review the appeal.
The decision marks another significant legal setback for Trump, as the judgment against him remains legally enforceable.
The case has attracted global attention because it involves allegations dating back nearly three decades and one of the most prominent political figures in the United States.
With the Supreme Court declining to intervene, the federal jury’s finding that Trump sexually assaulted and defamed E. Jean Carroll and the accompanying $5 million damages award remains fully in effect.
