A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld a jury’s decision that found Donald Trump sexually abused columnist E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed the $5 million award for defamation and sexual abuse granted to Carroll by a Manhattan jury. The verdict stems from a 2023 trial where Carroll recounted a violent encounter with Trump during the spring of 1996.
During recent proceedings, Trump’s legal team argued that the trial was compromised by the judge’s rulings, including the allowance of testimonies from two other women who accused Trump of similar misconduct and the jury’s viewing of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape. However, the appeals court found no errors warranting a new trial, stating that Trump’s rights were not substantially affected by any alleged errors.
Trump, who has repeatedly denied the allegation, was absent from the trial but briefly testified in a subsequent defamation case, which resulted in an $83.3 million award to Carroll for statements he made while president. Following the court’s decision, Trump’s spokesperson called for an end to what they termed political misuse of the justice system and promised continued appeals.
Carroll’s attorney expressed satisfaction with the appeals court’s decision, thanking them for their careful consideration. The original jury’s finding in May 2023, which concluded Trump defamed Carroll in 2022, led to a $5 million award. This was followed by the $83.3 million award in damages by a second jury in January for further defamatory comments by Trump. The court restricted Trump from disputing the initial jury’s finding during the latter trial, though he did participate actively.
