Donald Trump has directly and officially petitioned the highest court in the land to undo a jury’s judgment. This decision ruled that he did sexually assault columnist E Jean Carroll in a New York City department store in the mid-1990s. The jury found unanimously, however, that Trump defamed Carroll, bringing down a multi-million dollar financial verdict against the former president.
In a detailed filing submitted to the Supreme Court, Trump’s legal team argued that the allegations resulting in the $5 million verdict were “propped up” by what they described as a “series of indefensible evidentiary rulings.” They claimed that these decisions opened the door for Carroll’s lawyers to present “incredibly prejudicial propensity evidence” against Trump. They argue that this evidence contaminated the entire trial process.
Trump, who did not attend the 2023 trial, did make a short appearance at a later defamation trial last year. That trial wrapped up with a jury further ordering him to pay Carroll an additional $83.3 million. To be sure, Trump has been getting away with this lately as he has successfully contested numerous civil judgments. In August, a New York appellate court moved swiftly to protect him by reversing a massive fine he was contesting. This ruling followed a state civil fraud lawsuit.
The appellate court’s ruling upholding the original verdict occurred in December 2024, rejecting Trump’s claims that Judge Lewis A. Kaplan’s decisions compromised the fairness of the trial. Trump’s lawyers are currently urging the full appellate court to review this ruling. Their rebuttal is that their client’s case brings to light especially novel, important legal questions worthy of judicial consideration.
“President Trump will be able to present any legal issues in the Carroll cases that merit review by the United States Supreme Court,” stated Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney. She reiterated her position that Trump’s claims are not legally grounded.
The legal fight goes back to 2019 when Carroll first publicly accused Trump of sexual assault in her memoir. After she made her allegations, Trump responded by disparaging her truthfulness and credibility, which formed the basis of the defamation part of the lawsuits. He faces a dilemma: accept the jury’s findings and allow Carroll to collect her judgment or continue fighting in the high court.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan originally presided over the two trials. By doing so, he directed that second jury to accept the first jury’s finding of sexual abuse against Trump. Last month, the three Second Circuit judges unanimously rejected Trump’s bid for a rehearing on the issue. This decision makes his legal position even murkier.
Trump’s team, still headed by attorney Justin D. Smith, has dismissed Carroll’s allegations as a “politically motivated hoax.” They argue that the legal framework applied in their case conflicts with rulings from other federal appeals courts, suggesting inconsistencies in judicial treatment across different jurisdictions.
The current composition of the U.S. Supreme Court could have a huge effect on the outcome of this appeal. Its court right now has a very conservative majority, including three justices appointed by Trump that she called “the trifecta.”
As this case proceeds, judges and litigators will be watching to see what impact it has. They’ll be monitoring in particular how it affects Trump’s PR and legal standing. The stakes couldn’t be higher for Trump. E Jean Carroll is suffering from the stress and strain of seeking justice through a convoluted and protracted legal journey.