Supreme Court declines to halt E. Jean Carroll case against Trump

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to intervene in the sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll against President Donald Trump, marking the latest legal setback for the president in a case that has already cost him millions.

Without comment, the high court denied Trump's emergency request to block the lower court rulings that allowed Carroll's claims to proceed. The decision clears the way for the case to continue in the New York courts, where a jury previously found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.

Carroll, a former advice columnist, had already been awarded more than $5 million in damages by a federal jury in 2023. That verdict covered both the assault claim and separate defamation charges stemming from Trump's public statements denying the incident and calling her accusations a hoax.

Trump's legal team had argued that the president

Trump's legal team had argued that the president is immune from civil liability for actions taken while in office, a claim that lower courts repeatedly rejected. The Supreme Court's refusal to take up the matter means those rulings stand, allowing Carroll to pursue additional damages for remarks Trump made after the initial verdict.

The case has become a flashpoint in the broader legal battles surrounding Trump, who faces multiple civil and criminal proceedings even as he campaigns for the presidency. Carroll's attorneys have indicated they intend to seek further compensation for the harm caused by Trump's continued attacks on her credibility.

With the high court's decision, the litigation now returns to the trial court, where a new phase could address damages for post-verdict statements. Legal analysts note that the ruling underscores the judiciary's consistent stance that presidential immunity does not shield Trump from this type of personal misconduct lawsuit.