US Federal Appeals Court upholds sexual assault verdict against Trump
Photo: US President-elect Donald Trump (Getty Images)
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the jury's verdict, which found Donald Trump guilty of sexual assault against writer E. Jean Carroll. The incoming president's request for a new trial was rejected, reports CNN.
The winner of the presidential election challenged the $5 million civil lawsuit. Trump claimed that the trial judge made several errors, including considering testimony from two other women who accused him of sexual assault.
The Appeals Court concluded that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in admitting the evidence. However, even if the judge made any errors, the Appeals Court stated that, given Carroll's strong arguments, they were not convinced that Trump's rights were violated to the extent that would warrant a new trial.
"Both E. Jean Carroll and I are gratified by today’s decision. We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments," said Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney.
The civil court ruling means Trump will not face imprisonment. The jury found that Trump had sexually harassed Carroll, which is enough to hold him accountable for battery. However, the jury did not find that Carroll proved she was raped.
Trump's spokesperson and new White House Communications Director, Steven Cheung, said appeals would continue.
“The American People have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate, and 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. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again,” Cheung said.
The sexual assault case against Trump
Writer E. Jean Carroll filed a lawsuit in 2023 under the "New York State Adult Survivors Act." This law opened a window for sexual assault claims like Carroll's that were previously barred by expired statutes of limitations.
Carroll claimed Trump raped her in the Bergdorf Goodman department store and defamed her when he denied her account, stating that she was not his type. However, the politician suggested that she fabricated the story to boost sales of her book and denied all allegations.
On May 9, 2023, a Manhattan federal court found Trump guilty in the case of attempting to rape the writer.
Under the court's ruling, the politician is required to pay Carroll $2 million in damages. In addition, Trump was found guilty of defamation for denying the incident and was ordered to pay another $3 million in damages to Carroll, totaling $5 million. Trump appealed this decision.
In January 2024, a separate jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million after finding that Trump defamed her by denying the sexual assault. The politician also appealed this verdict.
