The Supreme Court declined to hear Donald Trump's appeal of the $5 million E. Jean Carroll verdict, leaving the civil judgment intact. Carroll's lawyer called the ruling confirmation of the jury's findings, while Trump criticized the decision and still faces a separate $83.3 million award.
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Donald Trump's appeal of the $5 million civil verdict in E. Jean Carroll's sexual abuse and defamation case, leaving the judgment in place.
The court gave no explanation for the decision and no justice publicly dissented, according to the reporting. The denial means the jury's finding and damages award from the 2023 trial remain intact unless Trump pursues some other extraordinary procedural step.
The case behind the appeal
The $5 million award came from a May 2023 Manhattan jury verdict that found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. A federal appeals court later upheld that judgment, clearing the way for Trump's request that the Supreme Court review the case.
The Supreme Court's refusal to take the appeal closes that path for now.
Reactions and broader stakes
Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, welcomed the ruling as confirmation of the jury's findings. Trump criticized the decision on social media and continued to deny Carroll's allegations.
The decision adds to the broader legal and financial pressure Trump faces in the Carroll litigation. He still faces a separate $83.3 million defamation judgment in Carroll's favor, which remains under appeal. According to the reporting, that award was upheld by the Second Circuit in September 2025.
What comes next
Attention now shifts to whether Trump's legal team makes any further procedural move after the cert denial, and whether Carroll seeks prompt enforcement of the $5 million judgment.
The larger Carroll case remains unresolved, and any future Supreme Court action would be tied to the separate $83.3 million award rather than the $5 million verdict left intact on Monday.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.