Full Breakdown
Supreme Court Declines to Review Trump’s Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Civil Verdict
6/29/2026, 11:55:35 PM
Core Event: Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Appeal
On June 29 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a brief, unsigned order declining to review former President Donald Trump’s petition to overturn a 2023 Manhattan federal jury verdict. The decision leaves in place a $5 million civil judgment finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll. No rationale or dissent was provided, consistent with the Court’s usual practice for denied petitions.
Background & Context: Carroll’s Lawsuits and Prior Verdicts
Carroll, a former advice columnist, first publicized her allegation of a 1996 assault in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing-room in a 2019 memoir excerpt. She sued under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which opened a one-year look-back window for historic sexual-assault claims. A 2023 jury found Trump sexually abused Carroll (the court characterized the act as “sexual abuse,” not rape) and defamed her for calling the claim a “hoax.” The jury awarded $2 million for the abuse and $3 million for defamation. A separate 2024 defamation trial resulted in an $83.3 million judgment for statements Trump made while president; that verdict remains under appeal.
Key Figures & Groups
- Donald Trump – former president, defendant.
- E. Jean Carroll – plaintiff, writer.
- Roberta Kaplan – attorney for Carroll.
- Lewis Kaplan – U.S. District Judge who presided over the trial.
- 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals – upheld the $5 million verdict in 2024.
- Justin D. Smith – attorney representing Trump in the Supreme Court petition.
Timeline
- 1996 – Alleged assault in Manhattan department store.
- 2019 – Carroll’s memoir excerpt publicizes allegation.
- 2022 – Carroll files suit under the Adult Survivors Act.
- May 9 2023 – Jury returns $5 million verdict.
- January 2024 – Jury awards $83.3 million in a second defamation case.
- 2024 – 2nd Circuit affirms the $5 million verdict.
- June 29 2026 – Supreme Court declines to hear Trump’s appeal.
Data & Statistics
- $5 million total damages (- $2 M for abuse, $3 M for defamation).
- $83.3 million separate defamation award still pending appeal.
- Jury composition: six men and three women, deliberated less than three hours.
- Evidence admitted included testimony from two other women alleging similar misconduct and the 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape.
Why It Matters / Impact
The Court’s refusal preserves a civil judgment that holds a former president financially accountable for sexual-abuse and defamation claims. It also signals that the high court will not intervene in civil matters where lower courts have affirmed jury findings, even when the defendant is a sitting or former president. The decision may influence ongoing litigation, including the pending appeal of the $83.3 million verdict.
Official Statements & Responses
- Carroll’s counsel, Roberta Kaplan, said the ruling “affirms once and for all the jury’s unanimous verdict.”
- Trump’s legal team described the decision a “Democrat-funded travesty” and pledged continued “fight against Liberal Lawfare.”
- Trump’s attorneys argued the trial judge erred by allowing extraneous testimony and the Access Hollywood tape.
Criticism & Opposition
Legal analysts and Carroll’s representatives criticized Trump’s characterization of the case as “weaponized lawfare,” emphasizing that the evidence of prior misconduct was relevant to establishing a pattern. The Supreme Court’s lack of explanation was noted by commentators as a missed opportunity to clarify evidentiary standards.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the precise legal characterization of the assault: some describe it as “sexual abuse,” others as “rape,” though the jury rejected the rape claim. Details of the evidentiary rulings are variably framed as “highly inflammatory” versus “relevant pattern evidence.” No public record explains why the Supreme Court declined review.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Surprisingly, the Supreme Court declined to ‘review’ a Fake Case brought against me by a woman I never met (Decades old celebrity photo line, standing with her husband, does not count!). I will continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength. This Case is really against the United States of America, and all it stands for, and should never be allowed to happen to another President, or Candidate to be! New York State created a Law, for an instant speck of time, going back many decades, in order to wrongfully ‘nab’ me. It was tailormade, and this Injustice cannot be allowed to stand! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” — Donald Trump, Former President
- “This Case is really against the United States of America, and all it stands for, and should never be allowed to happen to another President, or Candidate to be!” — Donald Trump, Former President
- “In a separate statement, Trump's legal team stated: "The American People stand with President Trump as they demand an immediate end to all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes.” — Trump legal team spokesperson
- “Today’s Supreme Court decision affirms once and for all the jury’s unanimous verdict that President Donald J. Trump sexually assaulted and defamed E. Jean Carroll. His multiple efforts to appeal that verdict have all failed, and today’s ruling ends his quest to avoid accountability for his actions,” — Roberta Kaplan, Attorney for E. Jean Carroll
- “This mistreatment of a President cannot be allowed to stand.” — Justin D. Smith, Attorney for Donald Trump
What’s Next
Trump’s team has indicated plans to appeal the $83.3 million defamation judgment, with the Justice Department signaling possible participation. The unresolved issues surrounding evidentiary standards and presidential immunity may surface in future appellate arguments.
