By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-08-17 15:15:24 | Updated at 2026-08-17 16:07:44
1 hour ago
(Left) Then-former President Donald Trump in New York on Jan. 26, 2024. (Right) E. Jean Carroll arrives at Manhattan federal court in New York on Jan. 26, 2024. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters; Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The U.S. Supreme Court on Aug. 17 denied President Donald Trump’s request that the justices rehear an appeal related to the $5 million judgment against him for alleged sexual abuse and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll case.
The new ruling took the form of an unsigned order. The court did not explain the decision. No justices dissented.
Carroll, an author, testified during a 2023 trial that Trump attacked her around 1996 in a dressing room of a department store near Trump Tower in New York City. Trump denied the allegations.
In a May 2023 verdict, a federal jury held Trump liable both for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her when he made statements in October 2022 denying her allegations. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.
The Second Circuit upheld both the $5 million verdict and a separate $83.3 million verdict Carroll won against Trump. Lawyers refer to the case involving $83.3 million as Carroll I; the new case, related to the $5 million judgment, is commonly referred to as Carroll II.
The larger award in January 2024 was for Trump’s alleged defamation arising from his denial of the allegations and accusations that Carroll was lying.
Trump is still contesting the $83.3 million verdict in Carroll I in the courts.
On June 29, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s petition requesting that the justices hear an appeal about Carroll II, which led to the $5 million verdict.
On July 8, Trump requested that the justices reconsider the denial of that petition.
On the same day, a federal judge in New York ruled in the same underlying litigation that Carroll may collect the $5.8 million that Trump paid into court, which was being held in escrow.
The $5.8 million figure includes post-judgment interest.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
