Supreme Court Once Again Rejects President Donald Trump’s Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Sexual Abuse Case

Carroll’s team had previously brought a defamation suit against Trump in 2019, pertaining to disparaging remarks he’d made about her while in office. A federal jury ruled in her favor in 2024, ordering Trump to pay $83.3 million. His team is currently asking the Supreme Court to review that decision.

Trump’s legal team believes that the defamation case relating to remarks made while in office should be covered by presidential immunity.

Martinich-Sauter separately submitted a petition for rehearing the sexual abuse and defamation case in July. He argued that presidential-immunity questions relevant to the pending case could also affect the $5 million judgment, since that trial featured the same remarks as evidence. 

“That is a paradigmatic reason to at least hold a petition,” read the request from Martinich-Sauter. 

He cited Supreme Court precedent from another one of the President’s personal legal battles, involving claims of interference with the 2020 election. The Supreme Court vacated the lower court’s decision in 2024 and ruled that former Presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution for certain official acts, but not for unofficial acts.