NEW YORK — In a significant affirmation of a previous court decision, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a $5 million judgment against former President Donald Trump. The verdict, handed down by a Manhattan jury earlier this year, compensated E. Jean Carroll for claims of defamation and sexual abuse that she alleged occurred in a New York department store in the mid-1990s.
Carroll, a former magazine columnist, contended during her 2023 trial that Trump sexually assaulted her after they entered a dressing room together in 1996. Despite Trump’s absences from the trial, where he vehemently denied the allegations, the jury sided with Carroll, awarding her damages for the abuse and subsequent defamation.
This legal battle stems from Carroll’s accusations revealed in her 2019 memoir, to which Trump responded with statements that were later found by a jury to be defamatory in a subsequent trial. That trial concluded with an additional award of $83.3 million to Carroll earlier this year, primarily for the reputational damage she suffered from Trump’s public denials while he was president.
The three-judge panel dismissed claims from Trump’s defense that trial improprieties justified overturning the original verdict. These alleged errors included the admission of testimonies from two other women who claimed similar experiences of sexual abuse by Trump and the presentation of the infamous 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape. In the recording, Trump is heard boasting crudely about his actions toward women, casting shadows on his denials of sexual misconduct.
In their decision, the appellate judges declared, “Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings.” They concurred that nothing asserted by Trump’s legal team demonstrated a substantive effect on his rights or justified a new trial.
Among those responding to the court’s decision, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung criticized the judicial proceedings, labeling them as politically motivated attacks against the former president. On the other hand, Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, expressed satisfaction with the appellate court’s comprehensive and thoughtful confirmation of the jury’s verdict.
During her emotional testimony, Carroll detailed the profound impact Trump’s public dismissals had on her life. She recounted how the ordeal led to death threats and left her living in fear, secluded in her upstate New York cabin. Even as the case brought her moments in the legal spotlight, it was clear the personal toll was immense.
The timeline and outcomes of Carroll’s legal confrontations with Trump mark significant moments in the broader discourse on sexual misconduct and accountability, reinforcing the precedence that no individual is above reproach, regardless of their public status.
As further appeals are considered, the broader implications of these legal battles persist, underscored by the enduring challenges victims face in seeking justice. The continuation of these judicial examinations will undoubtedly remain a focal point of public and legal interest.
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