What was the outcome of E Jean Carroll's 2023 civil case against Donald Trump?

1. Jury finds Trump civilly liable in 2023 — what the verdict said

In May 2023 a nine-person federal jury in Manhattan unanimously concluded that Trump had “sexually abused” E. Jean Carroll during an encounter in the mid-1990s and that he defamed her when he later denied the incident; the jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages tied to that finding ^{[4] [1]}.

2. What the jury did not find — the limits of the verdict

The jury distinguished between sexual abuse and rape: jurors did not find Carroll proved rape, but they did find she proved sexual abuse and defamation, which formed the basis for the $5 million award ^{[4] [2]}. Available sources do not mention any criminal conviction arising from the same facts (not found in current reporting).

3. Follow‑on trial and the larger $83.3 million award

After the May 2023 trial, a separate proceeding addressing other defamatory statements produced a far larger January 2024 jury award — $83.3 million — tied to Trump’s post‑2019 comments about Carroll; courts later treated the two awards together in appeals and enforcement discussions ^{[3] [5]}.

4. Appeals and the 2nd Circuit rulings

Trump appealed, arguing among other things that evidentiary rulings and alleged presidential immunity required reversal; the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected those challenges and upheld the jury awards (both the $5 million and the later $83.3 million rulings were sustained in the appellate process) ^{[2] [6]}.

5. Supreme Court petition and stakes for presidential immunity doctrine

In November 2025 Trump petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review the $5 million verdict, framing his appeal around alleged “indefensible evidentiary rulings” and claims that important evidence (including testimony by other women and the Access Hollywood tape) prejudiced the jury; the Department of Justice filed an amicus brief asking the Court to consider questions about presidential immunity for official acts, elevating the case’s constitutional implications ^{[7] [8]}.

6. Competing narratives from the parties and their lawyers

Trump’s legal team characterizes Carroll’s claims as politically motivated and says the district court erred in admitting propensity evidence and other materials ^{[7] [9]}. Carroll and her lawyers insist the verdict was properly reached and that the appeals courts correctly preserved her damages award; her counsel predicted the Supreme Court would likely decline review ^{[7] [10]}.

7. Broader legal and political context — why this case matters

The litigation tested the interaction of defamation law, civil remedies for sexual‑assault allegations under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, and questions about whether—and when—a president can claim immunity for statements made while in office; appellate rulings that immunity can be waived and that the jury awards were reasonable pressed those legal boundaries ^{[8] [11]}.

8. What’s next and practical effects

Practically, Trump has two principal options after the 2nd Circuit rulings: accept the judgments (and allow collection, which at times was paid into escrow) or seek further review from the Supreme Court; as of November 2025 he has chosen the latter course by formally asking the high court to hear the $5 million verdict appeal ^{[7] [12]}. Whether the Supreme Court will grant review requires four justices to vote to take the case and is uncertain ^[13].

Limitations and source notes: This summary relies solely on the provided reporting and court summaries; sources consistently report the May 2023 $5 million jury award and the subsequent $83.3 million award and appeals, and they document Trump’s November 2025 Supreme Court petition ^{[4] [1] [3]}. If you want the full opinion texts or a timeline of filings and motions, say so and I will extract those details from the cited appellate and district opinions referenced in these sources ^{[8] [4]}.