Overview
- The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear President Donald Trump's appeal of a 2023 jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, leaving the $5 million judgment in place and collectible.
- Trump previously moved about $5.5 million into a court-controlled account after the verdict, meaning Carroll can seek payment now that the high court has refused review.
- At issue in appeals were evidentiary rulings that allowed jurors to hear testimony from two other women and an excerpt of the 2005 'Access Hollywood' tape, and the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2024 held those decisions lawful; federal Rule 415 permits such evidence in civil sex‑assault suits to show a pattern of conduct.
- The Supreme Court issued a brief, unexplained order rejecting the petition and recorded no dissent, a routine procedural outcome that leaves the lower courts' factual and legal findings intact.
- A separate $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to Carroll remains under appeal and could be pressed to the Supreme Court next, which would extend Trump's further legal and financial exposure.