JUST IN: Appeals Court Reveals Decision On Trump’s E. Jean Carroll Ruling

A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a jury’s verdict finding President-elect Donald Trump liable for allegedly sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s. The decision affirms the jury’s award of $5 million in damages to Carroll, who is a writer and former advice columnist.

The ruling, issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, rejected Trump’s arguments that evidentiary errors during the trial necessitated a new proceeding. The appellate judges concluded that the district court’s handling of testimony and evidence—including accounts from other women alleging similar misconduct by Trump—was appropriate and within legal bounds.

The case, stemming from events Carroll said occurred in the mid-1990s, was first brought to light in her 2019 memoir, where she accused Trump of assaulting her in a Manhattan department store dressing room. Trump vehemently denied the allegations, calling them a “hoax” and a “lie,” which led Carroll also to pursue a defamation claim against him.

New York, NY USA – May 9 2023: E. Jean Carroll smiles as she leaves the courtroom after a jury found former President Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

The trial, which captured national attention earlier last year, lasted nine days and included gripping testimony from Carroll herself, as well as corroborating witnesses who testified about her immediate outcry following the alleged assault. The jury, however, did not find sufficient evidence to support Carroll’s claim of rape but unanimously concluded that Trump had sexually abused her.

Trump’s legal team appealed the decision, arguing that the trial court had erred in allowing testimony from two women who claimed Trump had sexually assaulted them in the past. Additionally, they contended that the inclusion of the infamous 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape, in which Trump was heard boasting about non-consensual sexual conduct, unfairly prejudiced the jury.

However, the appellate court disagreed, noting that federal rules allow evidence of prior sexual misconduct in cases involving similar allegations. The judges wrote that such evidence could be used to establish a pattern of behavior and help jurors assess the credibility of the claims.

“Mr. Trump appeals, contending that the district court (Lewis A. Kaplan, Judge) erred in several of its evidentiary rulings,” the court document read. “These include its decisions to admit the testimony of two women who alleged that Mr. Trump sexually assaulted them in the past and to admit a recording of part of a 2005 conversation in which Mr. Trump described to another man how he kissed and grabbed women without first obtaining their consent. Mr. Trump contends that these and other asserted errors entitle him to a new trial.”

“On review for abuse of discretion, 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,” the ruling stated.

Trump spox Steven Cheung said in a statement, “The American People have re-elected President Trump with 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.”

The ruling leaves Trump with limited options. While he could petition the Supreme Court to review the case, such moves are discretionary and unlikely to succeed unless significant legal questions are at stake.

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