Court Hands Trump Huge Blow in E. Jean Carroll Sex Abuse Case
The court voted 8-2 in favor of upholding his unsuccessful appeal.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
A federal appeals court has rejected President Donald Trump’s request to rehear a jury verdict in favor of E. Jean Carroll.
The decision solidifies a judge’s earlier decision that upheld his liability for sexually abusing and defaming the advice columnist.
On Friday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan declined to reconsider its Dec. 30 ruling, which affirmed that Trump was responsible for both the sexual assault and resulting defamation.
Biden-appointed U.S. Circuit Judge Myrna Pérez said after the 8-2 verdict: “Simply re-litigating a case is not an appropriate use of the en banc procedure.
“In those rare instances in which a case warrants our collective consideration, it is almost always because it involves a question of exceptional importance or a conflict between the panel’s opinion and appellate precedent.”
Carroll is one of several women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or harassment. A federal jury in 2023 found him liable for sexual abuse against Carroll, an advice columnist.
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
The journalist alleged that the then-businessman sexually abused her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-90s. The $5 million award stems from a May 2023 civil verdict in which jurors found Trump had non-consensually touched Carroll and defamed her with his denials. She came forward with her story during Trump’s first term as president.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Trump’s legal team argued the court had wrongly allowed evidence—including the 2005 Access Hollywood tape and testimonies from other women—into the trial.
The two dissenting votes were from Trump-appointed 2nd Circuit judges, Steven Menashi and Michael Park. “The result was a jury verdict based on impermissible character evidence and few reliable facts. No one can have any confidence that the jury would have returned the same verdict if the normal rules of evidence had been applied,” Menashi wrote.
Three other available judges recused from voting without explaining their decision.
E. Jean Carroll (C) departs Manhattan federal appeals court following arguments in a judgement appeal brought by Trump in September 2024.
Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images
Trump’s team has also appealed a separate $83.3 million defamation judgment from Jan. 2024, and continues to argue that his social media denials are protected by presidential immunity. Trump has denied knowing Carroll and labeled her allegations as fabricated.
The defamation case goes to a three-judge 2nd Circuit panel later this month.
“E. Jean Carroll is very pleased with today’s decision,” Carroll and her attorney said in a joint statement.
“Although President Trump continues to try every possible maneuver to challenge the findings of two separate juries, those efforts have failed. He remains liable for sexual assault and defamation,” they continued.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.