E Jean Carroll fights Trump’s last-ditch push to dismiss $83m damages verdict

Lawyers for writer E. Jean Carroll have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to leave in place an $83 million damages award against President Donald Trump, arguing the justices have no reason to rescue him from the results of his own litigation strategy. Their filing, submitted on 30 October, answers Trump's petition asking the court to take up his appeal, according to The Guardian.

Jurors set the amount on 26 January 2024, in a second trial that dealt only with damages, because an earlier jury had already found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll and awarded her $5m. Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing. His attorneys contend that presidential immunity covers conduct during his time in office, including 2019 remarks calling Carroll a liar. They also warn that exposure to nearly a hundred million dollars in personal liability could deter future presidents from exercising executive power.

Carroll's legal team, led by Roberta Kaplan, notes that lower courts have repeatedly upheld the award. They describe seven years of litigation, during which Carroll faced thousands of threats of death and sexual violence from Trump's followers. In September, Trump dropped his fight over the first verdict after the justices again declined to hear that appeal.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →