What were the outcomes of the 2023 New York hush-money trial and the E. Jean Carroll civil jury verdict?
Executive summary
Donald Trump was convicted in the Manhattan "hush‑money" criminal trial in May 2024 on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to payments tied to Stormy Daniels; the conviction has been appealed and a federal appeals court later ordered renewed consideration of whether parts of the case should have been heard in federal court [1] [2]. Separately, a 2023 federal civil jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll and awarded her $5 million; that verdict was later upheld on appeal and remains the subject of further appeals, including a request to the U.S. Supreme Court [3] [4] [5].
1. Hush‑money trial: a criminal conviction that reshaped precedent
A New York jury in May 2024 found Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts alleging falsified business records connected to a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels that prosecutors said was intended to conceal information from voters in 2016; this was the first criminal conviction of a former U.S. president [1] [6]. The conviction itself became the hinge for later legal fights over whether evidence touching on Trump’s presidential acts could have converted what prosecutors called private misconduct into matters raising immunity questions [7] [8].
2. Post‑verdict litigation: appeals and jurisdictional fights
After conviction, Trump’s lawyers argued the Supreme Court’s presidential‑immunity decision and other issues should lead to reversal or removal of the case to federal court. A three‑judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit found a lower federal judge had erred in how he considered whether to move the case to federal court and ordered further consideration, without taking a view on the ultimate outcome [2]. Appeals filings and challenges continued, including arguments that prosecutors improperly used evidence of official acts [9] [7].
3. Sentencing and practical consequences (what the record shows)
Reporting indicates that Judge Juan Merchan ultimately imposed an unconditional discharge — meaning no jail term or fine — at a January 10 sentencing hearing, an outcome that "cements" the conviction while imposing no custodial punishment [10] [11]. The conviction, however, remains central to appeals and to efforts to challenge the admissibility of evidence and the proper forum for the case [9] [2].
4. E. Jean Carroll civil verdict: two related federal judgments
E. Jean Carroll’s litigation produced multiple civil findings: a May 2023 Manhattan federal jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll and awarded $5 million; a separate proceeding produced an $83.3 million judgment against Trump for later defamatory statements, and courts have treated these as distinct but related civil outcomes [3] [12]. The $5 million verdict specifically found Trump liable for sexual abuse (not rape) and defamation, and was appealed [4] [3].
5. Appeals and the path to the Supreme Court
The 2nd Circuit and other appellate panels have reviewed these Carroll rulings; Reuters and other outlets reported that Trump’s request for reconsideration failed in mid‑2025 and that he later asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the $5 million verdict [4] [13]. Multiple outlets in November 2025 reported that Trump’s legal team filed a petition seeking Supreme Court review, arguing evidentiary errors and contesting the jury’s findings [5] [14] [15].
6. Points of contention and competing narratives
Prosecutors and Carroll’s lawyers framed their victories as vindications—criminally in Manhattan and civilly in federal court—of accountability for false records and sexual abuse/defamation respectively [6] [3]. Trump’s teams have consistently called the cases politically motivated, emphasized alleged evidentiary and jurisdictional errors, and have pursued aggressive appeals, including invoking presidential‑immunity arguments and asking courts up to the Supreme Court to overturn verdicts [9] [16].
7. What reporting does not settle
Available sources do not mention any unambiguous final resolution of all appeals: some appellate rulings upheld verdicts, other courts ordered further consideration of jurisdictional issues, and Supreme Court filings were pending as of the dates in these reports [2] [4] [13]. Sources do not provide a single, final appellate outcome that disposes of every legal question raised by either case [9] [14].
8. Why these outcomes matter beyond the courtroom
The hush‑money conviction became a focal point for debates over the limits of state prosecutions of presidents and how evidence about official acts should be treated; the Carroll judgments have tested how civil law addresses historical sexual‑misconduct claims and defamation by a sitting or former president, with both sides stressing broader political and institutional stakes [7] [12]. Each result generated sustained litigation, ensuring the legal questions and political arguments will continue to unfold in higher courts [2] [5].
Limitations: this summary relies only on the supplied reporting snippets and citations; for developments after the cited items, available sources do not mention them [1] [3].