Appeals Court Upholds $83 Million Defamation Judgment Against Donald Trump
NEW YORK – An appeals court on Tuesday affirmed the $83.3 โmillion in damages awarded to E. Jean Carroll in her defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, rejecting his claims that the verdict was excessive and unfairly reached. โฃThe ruling solidifies a significant legal defeat for Trump, stemmingโข from statements heโข made while denying Carroll’s allegations of sexual assault and subsequent defamation.
The decision, handed downโ by a New York state appellate court, centers โon two separate trials. Inโข 2023, a jury โfound Trump โliable for sexually abusing and โคdefaming Carroll, โawarding her $5 million in damages. A second trial โin 2024 addressed further defamatory remarks Trump made about Carroll while denying the initial allegations, resulting in an $83.3 million judgment. This latest ruling confirms that the 2024 โขjury was justified in finding Trump liableโข for those statements and in the amount of damages awarded,โฃ which are intended to compensate Carroll for reputational harm andโข emotional distress.
The appeals court specifically noted Trump’s disruptive behaviour during the 2024 trial, citing “several disruptive โcomments and gestures in front of the judge and jury.” The court found sufficient evidence supported the jury’s conclusion โขthat Trump’s โrepeated denials of Carroll’s claims and assertions that she fabricated the allegations caused significantโ damageโฃ to her reputation and personal life.
During the 2024โ trial, evidence presented demonstrated โthe considerable โคharm Carroll โsuffered following trump’s public statements. Carroll’s attorney, โฃRoberta Kaplan, argued โคto the jury that the award should be substantial enough to compel Trump โto cease his defamatory behavior toward her client.
The ruling represents a major victory for Carroll, โwho hasโ consistently maintained that Trump’s statements โwere falseโข and damaging. It also sets a โฃprecedent regarding the legal consequences of makingโ defamatory statements,โข particularly by public figures. Trump’sโค legal team has indicated they may โคpursue further appeals, perhaps taking the case to the state’s highest court.