US Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from former President Donald Trump concerning a sexual abuse case. This refusal effectively upholds a previous ruling that mandates Trump to pay damages amounting to roughly $33 million. Trump had been seeking to overturn the verdict delivered in a civil lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll.

E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s and later defaming her when he denied the allegations. A jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages in the initial trial. Subsequently, a second jury awarded her an additional $83.3 million in defamation damages.

Trump's legal team had appealed the judgments, arguing, among other things, that the former president's statements were protected speech. The Supreme Court's decision not to review the case means the judgments against Trump will remain in effect, marking a significant legal setback for the former president in his ongoing legal battles.