The United States Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear President Donald Trump’s appeal seeking to overturn a $5 million civil judgment entered against him in favour of writer E. Jean Carroll.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ELLAN.png")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/yemi.jpg")
The decision means that the 2023 jury verdict, which found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and later defaming her, remains in place.
The case arose from a federal civil lawsuit filed by Carroll in Manhattan, where she alleged that Trump sexually abused her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York in 1996.
Carroll first publicly made the allegation in 2019. Trump denied the claim and later described it as a “con job” and “hoax”, prompting defamation claims against him.
In May 2023, a jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
The jury, however, did not find Trump liable for rape as Carroll had alleged, but found him liable for a lesser civil claim of sexual abuse.
Trump appealed the verdict, arguing that the trial judge, Judge Lewis Kaplan, wrongly allowed the jury to hear evidence that was not directly tied to Carroll’s specific allegation.
His lawyers challenged the admission of testimony from two other women, Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who had also accused Trump of sexual misconduct. Trump denied those allegations.
Trump’s legal team also objected to the admission of the 2005 “Access Hollywood” recording, in which Trump was heard making lewd comments about women.
According to Trump’s lawyers, the admission of the testimony and recording unfairly strengthened Carroll’s case and distracted from what they described as a lack of direct evidence relating to her allegation.
But Carroll’s lawyers argued that the evidence was properly admitted because it was relevant to the issues before the court, including alleged prior conduct.
The New York-based United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit had in December 2024 upheld the verdict, holding that Judge Kaplan did not commit reversible error in allowing the challenged evidence.
The appellate court also held that Trump had not shown that any alleged error affected his substantial rights or justified a new trial.
By refusing to take up the case, the Supreme Court left the Second Circuit’s decision and the $5 million judgment intact.
The Supreme Court gave no reasons for turning down the appeal, which is the court’s usual practice when declining to hear a case.
Trump has continued to deny Carroll’s allegations and has described the cases against him as politically motivated.
The $5 million judgment is separate from another defamation case brought by Carroll, which resulted in an $83.3 million verdict against Trump in 2024.
That separate case concerns statements Trump made in 2019 while serving his first term as president, after Carroll publicly accused him of sexual assault.
Trump is also challenging that judgment and has argued, among other things, that the claims should be barred on grounds including presidential immunity.
The Supreme Court’s latest action concerns only the $5 million civil judgment arising from the 2023 verdict, not the separate $83.3 million defamation judgment.
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
The book, titled The Law of Torts in Nigeria: A Functional Approach, authored by Professor Hagler Sunny Okorie Ph.D and Ikeocha, Nathaniel Ngozi Esq, offers law students, practitioners, and academics a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying tort law in Nigerian courts. Interested buyers can place orders via the following contact numbers: 08028636615, 08037667945, 08032253813, or +234 902 196 2209.
_______________________________________________________________________
Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook
As an added bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE ebook titled: “How to use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion.”
Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating:
"....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic."
How to Order:
📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
