The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear President Donald Trump's appeal in E. Jean Carroll's civil defamation case, leaving intact a judgment that has grown to nearly $5.8 million with accrued interest and moving the longtime legal dispute into a new phase centered on payment rather than liability.
The Supreme Court's decision, issued on June 29, effectively ends Trump's ordinary appellate options in the 2023 case, which found him liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the mid-1990s and later defaming her after she publicly accused him decades later. Carroll's legal team is now urging a federal court to release money that has remained in escrow throughout the appeals process, arguing that the conditions agreed upon by both sides have now been satisfied.
The litigation has become one of the most significant civil cases involving Trump, producing multiple jury verdicts and more than $89 million in combined damages across two separate defamation actions. While the judgments have remained under appeal, Carroll's attorneys say she has yet to receive any of the money awarded by juries.
The latest dispute focuses on approximately $5.8 million that has been held by the court under a 2023 agreement negotiated while Trump pursued appeals.
According to court filings submitted after the Supreme Court's decision, Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said Trump's legal team contacted her shortly after the justices declined to hear the case and requested another delay before the judgment was paid. Kaplan argued the request conflicts with the parties' earlier agreement governing the escrow funds.
In the filing, Kaplan wrote, "[A]fter four years of litigation across every level of the federal court system, it is time for this case to end."
She further argued that, under the existing agreement, Carroll "is now entitled to obtain payment of the money due under the judgment."
The escrow arrangement formed a central part of Trump's appeal strategy.
To prevent immediate enforcement of the judgment while challenging the verdict, Trump agreed to deposit funds with the court. The agreement provided that the money would remain protected until either the Supreme Court ruled in his favor or declined to review the case.
Kaplan argued those conditions have now been fulfilled.
"Those conditions were satisfied when the Supreme Court denied his petition for certiorari," she wrote, adding, "It is time for him to pay Carroll."
The underlying litigation began after Carroll alleged Trump sexually assaulted her inside a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan during the mid-1990s. Trump denied the allegation and repeatedly disputed Carroll's account publicly.
In 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages. With accrued interest during the appeals process, the amount now totals roughly $5.8 million.
That judgment represents only part of Trump's financial exposure.
In a separate 2024 defamation case arising from statements Trump made in 2022 denying Carroll's allegations and accusing her of fabricating the story, another federal jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million.
Combined, the two verdicts total more than $89 million.
Kaplan has now asked the court to authorize immediate distribution of the escrowed funds, arguing that the prior stipulation leaves no legal basis for additional delay. If the court grants the request, Trump would be required to satisfy at least the smaller judgment while other financial issues continue to proceed.
The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the appeal also generated significant public reaction.
On social media, numerous commentators described the decision as the conclusion of Trump's challenge to the 2023 verdict. Some predicted that the ruling could mark a turning point in Carroll's years-long effort to collect the damages awarded by juries, while others speculated about whether Trump might continue publicly criticizing Carroll despite previous verdicts finding that similar statements constituted defamation.
Those online reactions, however, reflect public opinion rather than legal findings.
Meanwhile, Trump has continued to dispute Carroll's allegations outside the courtroom. According to Kaplan's filing, he also urged the Justice Department earlier this year to investigate whether Carroll committed perjury during the civil proceedings.
