Donald Trump Sexual Abuse Case: US Court Upholds $5 Million To Jean Carroll Verdict
A federal appeals court has upheld a jury’s decision requiring President-elect Donald Trump to pay $5 million for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
The New York jury determined last year that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a Manhattan department store in 1996. He was ordered to pay $2 million for the abuse and an additional $3 million for defamation.
Trump denied these allegations and appealed the verdict, arguing that testimony from two other women who accused him of sexual assault should not have been allowed. However, the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed with Trump’s claims. “We conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings,” they stated.
Appeals and Legal Challenges
The court further noted that Trump failed to prove any errors affected his substantial rights, which would be necessary for a new trial. In a separate case, another jury awarded Carroll $83 million against Trump, which he is also appealing. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, announced plans to appeal the $5 million damages awarded in this case as well.
“The American People have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate,” Cheung said in a statement. “They demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed,” he added.
Other Legal Matters
Two federal cases against Trump by special counsel Jack Smith were dismissed following his presidential election victory on November 5. These cases involved accusations of mishandling classified documents after leaving office and attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. Smith dropped these cases due to a Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.
In May, Trump was convicted in New York on 34 counts related to falsifying business records connected to a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Judge Juan Merchan recently denied Trump’s request to overturn this conviction but has delayed sentencing indefinitely.
