Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Final Bid to Overturn $5 Million E. Jean Carroll Verdict

The Supreme Court has permanently closed the door on President Donald Trump's effort to overturn a $5 million civil judgment finding him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. In an unsigned order released Monday, the justices denied Trump's request for a rehearing, cementing the 2023 jury verdict.[1][2]

The decision, which came without explanation or noted dissents, exhausts Trump's appellate options in this specific case. It marks the final legal word on a lawsuit that stemmed from a 1996 encounter in a Manhattan department store and a subsequent 2022 social media post in which Trump branded Carroll's allegations a "hoax."[3][4]

Rehearings at the Supreme Court are exceedingly rare; the justices have not granted such a petition since the mid-1960s. Trump's legal team had asked the court to reconsider its initial June refusal to take up the case, arguing that unresolved questions about presidential immunity warranted a second look.[2][6]

The finality of Monday's order means the $5 million judgment—which grew to approximately $5.6 million with accrued interest—is now fully settled. The funds, which Trump had deposited into a court-controlled escrow account during the appeals process, were already disbursed to Carroll in July following the Supreme Court's first denial.[1][5]

Roberta Kaplan, the lead attorney representing Carroll, welcomed the court's decision. In a public statement, Kaplan emphasized that the jury's unanimous verdict is now unchallengeable in any court, bringing a definitive end to Trump's quest to avoid financial liability for the 2023 findings.[1]

Trump's legal defense had built its appeal on evidentiary objections, arguing that the trial judge improperly allowed jurors to hear testimony from other women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct, as well as the infamous 2005 "Access Hollywood" recording.[6][7]

The defense team contended that this evidence was highly inflammatory and prejudiced the jury before the trial even began. However, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously rejected those arguments, ruling that the district judge acted within his discretion to admit the evidence to establish a pattern of behavior.[1][6]

In his petition for a rehearing, Trump's attorneys introduced a new angle, attempting to link this case to a separate, pending appeal regarding an $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to Carroll in 2024. They argued that both cases hinged on statements Trump made while serving as president, which should be shielded by presidential immunity.[2][3]

The defense asserted that official presidential acts cannot be used as evidence to impose civil liability for other conduct. By denying the rehearing, the Supreme Court effectively decoupled the finalized $5 million verdict from the ongoing immunity debate surrounding the larger defamation award.[2][6]

The mechanics of the two Carroll lawsuits highlight a complex legal strategy. The $5 million verdict originated from a lawsuit filed under the New York Adult Survivors Act, a state law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for civil claims involving sexual offenses.[2][4]

In that 2023 trial, the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and for defamation based on a post he made on his Truth Social platform in 2022, after he had left office. Because the defamatory statement occurred during his post-presidency, the core immunity defense was less directly applicable than in his other legal battles.[3][4]

Conversely, the separate $83.3 million judgment stems from comments Trump made in 2019 while actively serving in the White House. Trump's legal team is currently asking the Supreme Court to review that larger verdict, relying heavily on the argument that a president cannot be sued for statements made in an official capacity.[1][2]

The Supreme Court's recent landmark ruling on presidential immunity in criminal contexts—which granted former presidents broad protection for official acts—has emboldened Trump's defense strategy across his civil litigation. However, Monday's order signals that the justices are unwilling to retroactively apply those questions to a settled civil verdict involving post-presidency conduct.[2][6]

For Carroll, the disbursement of the $5.6 million represents a tangible victory after years of litigation. The funds were released by a Manhattan federal judge over the summer, freeing the money from the legal limbo of the appeals process.[1][4]

Trump, who has consistently denied knowing Carroll and characterized her allegations as a politically motivated fabrication, has not publicly commented on the specific denial of the rehearing. His legal team, however, released a statement condemning the broader litigation as "lawfare" and a "witch hunt."[4][5]

Legal analysts note that while this specific chapter is closed, the broader legal war between Trump and Carroll remains active. The Supreme Court is expected to decide later this year whether it will take up Trump's appeal of the $83.3 million defamation judgment, a case that will directly test the boundaries of presidential immunity in civil defamation suits.[1][2]