Judgment in Sexual Assault Case Against Trump Maintained by Federal Appeal Court
In a significant decision, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a jury's finding that President Donald Trump is liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll, a former newspaper columnist, and defaming her.
The court's ruling, made on December 30, 2024, comes after a series of trials and appeals that began in 2023. Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, an allegation Trump vehemently denied.
The jury's verdict, handed down in May 2023, found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her, but not for rape. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages, a sum later increased to $83.3 million in a subsequent trial in January 2024.
The court's decision noted that the controversial evidence, including recordings from an "Access Hollywood" tape where Trump bragged about being able to grope women, was likely relevant to the trial. The court stated that in three separate encounters, Trump engaged in an ordinary conversation with a woman, then abruptly lunged at her and forcedly kissed and touched her without consent.
The appeals court also rejected Trump's allegations that trial judge Lewis A. Kaplan had spoiled the trial by permitting two other women who had accused Trump of sexual abuse to testify.
E. Jean Carroll and Trump's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, expressed their satisfaction with the court's verdict. Carroll testified that Trump turned a friendly encounter into a violent attack inside a department store dressing room in 1995.
While the "Access Hollywood" tape is related to broader sexual misconduct allegations against Trump, it is not central to Carroll's specific case. The tape, released during the 2016 presidential campaign, features Trump making vulgar comments about women, which he later described as "locker room talk."
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for President Trump, emphasized the need for an end to the political weaponization of the justice system. President Trump has repeatedly denied any and all knowledge of the incident and has also denied ever meeting E. Jean Carroll.
This case is part of a series of multiple sexual misconduct allegations against Trump dating back decades, all of which he has denied.
[1] New York Times. (2024). Donald Trump Found Liable in Sexual Abuse Case by Appeals Court. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/30/us/politics/donald-trump-e-jean-carroll-liability.html
[2] CNN. (2024). Appeals court upholds $5 million judgment against Trump in E. Jean Carroll defamation case. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/30/politics/donald-trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation-case-appeals-court/index.html
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