(DailyChive.com) – Former President Donald Trump’s legal woes deepen as a federal appeals court delivers a crushing blow, upholding the $5 million judgment against him in the E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse case, potentially setting the stage for even more financial penalties.
Key Takeaways
- Federal appeals court has unanimously rejected Trump’s attempt to overturn the $5 million verdict for sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll
- The court upheld the admissibility of key evidence, including testimony from other Trump accusers and the infamous Access Hollywood tape
- Trump faces an additional $83 million defamation judgment in a separate Carroll case that is still pending appeal
- The Supreme Court remains Trump’s final legal recourse, though legal experts consider his chances of success slim
Appeals Court Delivers Devastating Blow to Trump’s Defense
In a decisive rejection of former President Donald Trump’s legal arguments, a federal appeals court has upheld the $5 million judgment against him in the E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse and defamation case. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed the verdict in December 2024 and subsequently rejected Trump’s request for an en banc rehearing on June 14, 2025. This ruling represents a significant setback for the former president, who continues to face mounting legal and financial challenges related to his conduct both before and during his presidency.
The court’s decision maintains the jury’s finding that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room during the mid-1990s and later defamed her through a 2022 Truth Social post denying her allegations. The original verdict awarded Carroll $2 million for battery and $3 million for defamation after the jury concluded Trump had acted with “actual malice” in his statements about her. This latest ruling effectively closes another avenue of appeal for Trump, leaving the Supreme Court as his final option.
Critical Evidence That Sealed Trump’s Fate
The appeals court firmly rejected Trump’s claims that certain evidence should have been excluded from the trial. Specifically, the court ruled that the trial judge properly admitted testimony from two other women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct, as well as the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood tape in which Trump boasted about sexually assaulting women. These pieces of evidence proved pivotal in establishing what the court deemed a pattern of behavior relevant to Carroll’s allegations.
Despite the unanimous decision to uphold the verdict, Judge Steven Menashi, a Trump appointee, dissented on First Amendment grounds. He argued that Trump should have been allowed to claim political motivation behind the lawsuit, suggesting that the case represented yet another example of lawfare being waged against the former president. However, this dissenting opinion failed to sway the majority of the court, which found the evidence against Trump compelling and the jury’s verdict sound.
The Legal Battle Continues on Multiple Fronts
The $5 million judgment represents only one aspect of Trump’s legal entanglements with E. Jean Carroll. In January 2024, a separate jury awarded Carroll an additional $83 million in a related defamation case, which Trump is also appealing. The mounting financial penalties highlight the significant consequences Trump faces for his public statements and alleged past conduct. With each failed appeal, Trump’s options narrow while the financial stakes continue to rise.
“He remains liable for sexual assault and defamation…no maneuver can change the jury’s findings,” stated Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney, following the court’s decision to reject the en banc review request.
Legal experts note that Trump’s chances of success at the Supreme Court level appear slim, given the appellate court’s detailed 77-page ruling from December. The thoroughness of the opinion, coupled with the unanimous decision to uphold the verdict, creates a substantial hurdle for any further appeals. This latest defeat adds to a growing list of legal setbacks for the former president, who continues to face scrutiny for his actions both in and out of office.
The Broader Implications
The court’s decision to uphold the verdict against Trump comes at a time when the American judicial system faces intense scrutiny from both sides of the political aisle. For Trump supporters, this represents another example of what they perceive as a weaponized justice system targeting their preferred candidate. For Trump’s critics, the ruling validates their concerns about his conduct and reinforces the principle that no one, not even a former president, is above the law.
The case also highlights the ongoing tension between free speech protections and defamation law. While Trump has consistently claimed his statements about Carroll were protected political speech, the courts have repeatedly rejected this argument, finding that his comments crossed the line into defamation when he attacked Carroll’s character and denied her allegations in ways that damaged her reputation. This distinction remains crucial as similar cases involving public figures continue to work their way through the court system.
As Trump potentially prepares a Supreme Court appeal, the Carroll case stands as a reminder of how past behavior and statements can have lasting legal consequences, even for those who once held the highest office in the land. Whether this judgment will impact Trump’s political future remains to be seen, but the financial and reputational costs continue to mount with each unsuccessful appeal.
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