President-elect Donald Trump has been denied a new trial in the case where a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll, a writer. The decision was made by a federal appeals court on Monday, rejecting claims made by Trump and his legal team that the judge overseeing the trial had made decisions that negatively impacted Trump’s standing with the jury.
The request for a new trial came after a jury unanimously concluded in May 2023 that there was enough evidence to support Carroll’s claim of sexual abuse by Trump during an encounter in a New York City department store in the mid-1990s. The 77-page decision from Monday dismissed the complaints raised by Trump before, during, and after the nine-day trial.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York found that District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan did not make any errors in allowing the testimonies of two women who shared similar encounters with Trump to be presented in court. The appeals court summarized Carroll’s claim, stating that Trump had pinned her against a wall, kissed her, pulled down her tights, and inserted his fingers into her vagina until she managed to push him away.
Carroll alleged that the encounter with Trump turned violent in a changing room at Bergdorf Goodman after initially starting off as a pleasant interaction while they were shopping. Trump has vehemently denied Carroll’s allegations and has vowed to appeal the case all the way to the Supreme Court. He has also appealed a previous ruling from January 2024, where he was found liable for more defamation against Carroll. The total amount awarded to Carroll by the juries in both cases exceeded $88 million.
Attorneys representing Trump did not provide an immediate comment on the appeals court decision. However, Trump’s spokesman, Steven Cheung, stated that they plan to appeal the ruling, emphasizing that Americans who voted for Trump want a quick dismissal of what they perceive as “Witch Hunts.” Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, expressed gratitude to the appeals court for carefully considering the arguments presented by both parties.
Roberta Kaplan, who is not related to the judge, stated, “Both E. Jean Carroll and I are gratified by today’s decision.” One of Trump’s main objections during the trial was the inclusion of an outtake from “Access Hollywood,” where Trump was heard making controversial remarks about grabbing women’s genitals. The court found that Judge Lewis Kaplan did not make an error in allowing the video to be shown to the jury.
Carroll’s federal civil lawsuit included claims of rape, sexual abuse, and defamation under New York’s penal code. While the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, they did not support the rape claim, as it required proof of forceful penetration involving the attacker’s genitals. Judge Lewis Kaplan later commented that New York’s penal code does not align with federal standards and a modern understanding of rape, stating that Carroll’s assertion of being raped by Trump was “substantially true.”
“The definition of rape in the New York Penal Law is far narrower than the meaning of ‘rape’ in common modern parlance,” Lewis Kaplan wrote in July 2023. He added that the jury implicitly found Trump guilty of digitally raping Carroll.
The ongoing legal battle between Trump and Carroll has garnered significant attention, with both parties determined to pursue their respective appeals. The appeals court’s decision to deny Trump a new trial has set the stage for further legal proceedings in this high-profile case. The outcome of these legal battles will likely have lasting implications for both Trump and Carroll, as well as the broader public’s perception of the allegations and the legal system’s response to them.
