HA Viewpoint: According to reports from Bloomberg on June 29, the US Supreme Court has upheld the jury’s verdict that former President Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed writer E. Jean Carroll. This final move paves the way for Carroll to potentially receive $5 million in compensation from the former president.
The justices issued no comments and recorded no dissents as they summarily denied Trump’s petition for certiorari. Trump had previously argued that the jury should not have been allowed to hear testimony regarding two other alleged incidents of sexual misconduct, nor should they have been exposed to the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, in which he used highly offensive language.
File photo of E. Jean Carroll, columnist for Elle magazine.
This ruling marks one of two legal victories for Carroll against Trump. Trump has already indicated that he will seek Supreme Court review regarding a separate defamation case where a jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million. The US Department of Justice has stated it will participate in the review process of that specific case, which presents unique legal questions because it centers on statements Trump made while in office.
In the lawsuit that resulted in the $5 million verdict, Carroll alleged that Trump pinned her against a wall in a fitting room at Bergdorf Goodman department store in 1996 and fingered her. She also accused him of defamation, citing his 2022 social media posts where he labeled her claims a “complete hoax,” a “prank,” and “fraud.” In the same post, Trump wrote, “Carroll is not my type.”
The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit previously upheld the original verdict, noting that testimony from other alleged victims and the “Access Hollywood” recordings helped establish a consistent pattern of behavior by Trump.
Public records show that Carroll, born in 1943, was named “Miss Indiana University” in 1963 while a student there, and won the US Cheerleading Championship in 1964 as a team captain. She later became a contributor to magazines such as Elle and Playboy and hosted her own show on NBC.
