Former US President Donald Trump has formally requested the Supreme Court of the United States to intervene and overturn a civil verdict that found him liable for s3xually abusing and defaming magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll.
The Core of the Legal Battle
This appeal targets the $5 million judgment from a case where a jury concluded Trump s3xually abused Carroll in a department store dressing room during the mid-1990s. The defamation charge stemmed from Trump's 2019 denial of the assault, where he claimed Carroll was not his type and accused her of fabricating the story to promote her book.
Trump's legal team, in their filing to the Supreme Court, argued that the trial was fundamentally flawed. They contend that Judge Lewis Kaplan made significant errors by permitting the jury to hear testimony from two other women who alleged past s3xual assaults by Trump. Furthermore, they objected to the jury being shown the infamous "Access Hollywood tape" from 2005, where Trump was heard making vulgar comments about grabbing women.
Trump's Defence and Carroll's Allegations
In his appeal, Trump emphasized the lack of traditional evidence, stating, "There were no eyewitnesses, no video evidence, and no police report or investigation." He accused Carroll of waiting more than two decades to level false accusations for political and financial gain, specifically after he had become president.
However, this is not the only legal defeat Trump has faced concerning Carroll. A separate jury later found him liable for defamation again when he repeated his denials in 2022, ordering him to pay a staggering $83 million in damages. A federal appeals court panel has already affirmed this larger award, describing it as "reasonable in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts."
What Happens Next?
The Supreme Court has not yet officially docketed Trump's latest appeal, and it remains uncertain whether the justices will agree to review the case. This legal manoeuvre follows Trump's unsuccessful attempts to have the verdict reviewed by a full bench of judges in a federal appeals court.
Adding another layer to the complex legal fight, the Justice Department has filed a brief supporting a review of whether presidential immunity can be waived in such civil matters. E. Jean Carroll's legal team is expected to file their formal response to Trump's Supreme Court petition in the coming weeks.
