Supreme Court’s Repeated Rescheduling of Trump-Carroll Appeal Raises Questions About Judicial Process

The United States Supreme Court has placed the appeal of former President Donald Trump’s $5 million verdict in E. Jean Carroll’s 2022 defamation and battery case on its docket 15 times since February 2026. Each rescheduling has postponed a decision that would enforce the jury award, extending the delay to more than three years. The Court has offered no public explanation for the repeated relistings, a pattern matched only by a separate Ohio police-shooting case.

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Carroll first sued Trump in 2019 for defamation. A 2022 state law permitting civil claims for historic sexual-assault allegations enabled her to file a second suit that proceeded to trial first. A New York jury awarded her $5 million for defamation and battery; a later trial on the 2019 claim resulted in an $83 million judgment, bringing total liability—including interest—to over $100 million. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the $5 million verdict, finding no trial-court error. In June 2025 Trump’s request for a full-bench review was denied, and he appealed to the Supreme Court in November 2025.

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• Donald Trump – former president, maintains the allegations are false and frames the appeal as “mistreatment of a President.”

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• E. Jean Carroll – magazine columnist, plaintiff asserting sexual assault and defamation.

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• Trump’s attorneys – argue the case distracts the president from executive duties and request denial of the appeal.

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• Carroll’s attorneys – contend the district court acted within its jurisdiction and that the 2nd Circuit’s decision should stand.

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• Justice Department – opened a criminal investigation into possible perjury by Carroll related to the pending appeal.

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• Judge Lewis Kaplan – U.S. District Judge who presided over the 2022 trial and admitted the “Access Hollywood” tape as relevant evidence.

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• Steve Vladeck – Georgetown Law analyst commenting on the Court’s scheduling.

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• Chief Justice John Roberts – presides over the Supreme Court, which requires four justices to grant a case.

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• 2019 – Carroll files first defamation suit.

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• 2022 – Second suit filed; jury awards $5 million.

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• 2023-2024 – $83 million judgment issued in the first case; Carroll leaves courthouse Sep 6 2024.

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• June 2025 – Trump’s effort to secure full-bench review denied.

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• Nov 2025 – Appeal to Supreme Court filed.

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• Jan 2026 – Trump’s attorneys submit brief urging denial.

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• Feb 27 2026 – Supreme Court meets privately; appeal removed from agenda without explanation.

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• June 2 2026 – Trump’s lawyers signal intent to appeal the $83 million case and suggest joint consideration.

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• June 22 2026 – Article reports 15 reschedulings; case added again to agenda for Thursday.

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• $5 million verdict (2022 case).

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• $83 million verdict (2019 case).

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• Combined liability exceeds $100 million with interest.

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• 15 reschedulings of the appeal, matched only by one other case in the current term.

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Delaying the decision postpones enforcement of a multi-million-dollar judgment against a former president, potentially affecting public perception of judicial impartiality. The timing also intersects with ongoing debates over presidential immunity, as the 2nd Circuit noted Trump had waived such claims in earlier rulings. The Justice Department’s perjury probe adds a criminal dimension to the civil dispute.

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Trump’s counsel described the litigation as “deeply damaging to the fabric of our republic” and warned that the president’s focus is being diverted from executive responsibilities. Carroll’s lawyers emphasized that the district court properly admitted evidence, citing the 2nd Circuit’s unanimous affirmation that the jury could reasonably find assault by a preponderance of evidence. The Justice Department confirmed a criminal investigation into Carroll’s testimony for possible perjury.

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Legal analyst Steve Vladeck highlighted the lack of a persuasive justification for the Court’s repeated relistings and suggested the possibility of “special solicitude” for Trump, noting the case concerns conduct outside his presidential term. Observers note that the Court’s opaque scheduling deviates from typical practice, where appeals receive at least one additional conference before denial.

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The Supreme Court has not provided a reason for the 15 reschedulings, leaving the motive ambiguous. While analysts propose waiting for related appeals, the Court’s internal deliberations remain undisclosed.

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• “The oddity here isn’t just that the court has rescheduled one of the Carroll cases 15 times, it’s the absence of a persuasive justification for it having done so,” — Steve Vladeck, Georgetown School of Law

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• “The only other explanation is some kind of special solicitude for President Trump — which runs into the problem that this case, at least, is about conduct he engaged in when he was not in office,” — Steve Vladeck

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• “It is deeply damaging to the fabric of our republic for President Trump, in the midst of a historic presidency, to have to take his focus away from his singular and unique duties as chief executive to continue fighting against decades-old, false allegations and the myriad wrongs throughout this baseless case,” — Trump’s attorneys (January filing)

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• “This mistreatment of a President cannot be allowed to stand.” — Trump’s attorneys

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• “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, … Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything,” — Donald Trump (2005 Access Hollywood tape)

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• “may wish to consider the petitions together.” — Trump’s attorneys (June 2 2026 letter)

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The Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether to hear the appeal later this year, potentially in the fall. Trump’s team plans to file a separate appeal of the $83 million judgment and has asked the Court to consider both petitions jointly. The Justice Department’s perjury investigation into Carroll remains ongoing.

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