Federal Appeals Court Upholds Verdict Against Donald Trump in Civil Case
A United States federal appeals court has affirmed a jury’s decision in a civil lawsuit that found former President Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse of columnist E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room during the mid-1990s. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed the $5 million in damages awarded to Carroll for defamation and sexual abuse.
The decision stems from a 2023 trial in which Carroll recounted how a friendly interaction with Trump in 1996 escalated into violence when they entered the dressing room. Trump did not attend the trial but had consistently denied the allegations. He did, however, provide brief testimony in a subsequent defamation trial, which awarded Carroll an additional $83.3 million. This second trial was initiated based on Trump’s 2019 comments following Carroll’s public accusations in her memoir.
Trump’s legal team argued that the trial was compromised by several decisions made by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, including allowing testimony from two other women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct and permitting the jury to see the “Access Hollywood” tape. The tape features Trump making controversial remarks about women in 2005. However, the appeals court found no errors in the trial court’s rulings that would justify a new trial.
The appeals court stated, “We conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings. Further, he has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial.”
In September, both Carroll and Trump attended the oral arguments before the 2nd Circuit. Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, criticized the legal proceedings, labeling them as politically motivated and calling for their dismissal. He stated, “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.”
Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney (unrelated to the judge), expressed satisfaction with the appeals court’s decision, saying, “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.”
During the trials, Carroll testified that Trump’s public comments severely disrupted her life, resulting in death threats and making her afraid to leave her home in upstate New York. The first jury, in May 2023, determined that Trump had indeed committed sexual abuse and defamation, leading to the $5 million award. The second jury, in January, upheld these findings and assigned further damages based on Trump’s statements made while in office.
Trump’s brief testimony during the second trial was marked by visible frustration, though he was unable to contest the previous jury’s conclusions. His lawyer, D. John Sauer, argued during the appeals that the testimonies from witnesses who corroborated Carroll’s account were biased and that the judge should have excluded testimonies from other women alleging similar misconduct by Trump.
The appeals court noted, “In each of the three encounters, Mr. Trump engaged in an ordinary conversation with a woman he barely knew, then abruptly lunged at her in a semi-public place and proceeded to kiss and forcefully touch her without her consent. The acts are sufficiently similar to show a pattern.” The court also deemed the “Access Hollywood” tape as directly supportive of the testimonies regarding Trump’s behavior.
The Associated Press generally refrains from naming individuals alleging sexual assault unless they have come forward publicly, as Carroll has done.
