Fact check: Did E. Jean Carroll press criminal charges against Donald Trump

1. Summary of the results

No, E. Jean Carroll did not press criminal charges against Donald Trump. Instead, she pursued civil litigation through two separate lawsuits ^[1].

The first lawsuit was filed for defamation in November 2019 (Carroll I), and the second was filed for battery and defamation in November 2022 under the Adult Survivors Act (Carroll II) ^[1]. These civil proceedings resulted in two separate jury verdicts that found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation ^{[1] [2]}.

The financial outcomes were substantial: $5 million awarded in May 2023 and $83.3 million awarded in January 2024, totaling $88.3 million in damages ^[1]. The federal appeals court upheld the $5 million verdict, with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals confirming the original decision ^{[3] [4]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several important contextual elements:

• Legal distinction: The question doesn't acknowledge the fundamental difference between criminal charges (brought by prosecutors) and civil lawsuits (brought by private parties). Criminal cases require proof "beyond a reasonable doubt," while civil cases use the lower standard of "preponderance of evidence" ^[2].
• Specific legal findings: While the jury did not find Trump guilty of rape under the narrow legal definition, they did find him responsible for sexual abuse ^[2]. This nuanced verdict is often overlooked in public discourse.
• Ongoing appeals process: Trump continues to appeal both verdicts, with the Justice Department attempting to intervene by arguing that some of Trump's statements were made within the scope of his presidential duties ^[5]. The appeals court has denied Trump's bids to delay the appeal process ^{[5] [6]}.
• Evidence considerations: The federal appeals court found that evidence of Trump's past alleged sexual misconduct was admissible in the proceedings ^[4].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself is not inherently biased, but it could lead to misunderstanding about the nature of the legal proceedings. The phrasing might suggest to some that criminal charges were a possibility that Carroll chose not to pursue, when in fact:

• Civil vs. Criminal distinction: The question doesn't clarify that sexual assault cases can be pursued through both criminal and civil channels simultaneously or separately, with different standards of proof and different outcomes.
• Prosecutorial discretion: Criminal charges would be brought by prosecutors, not by Carroll herself, though victims can report crimes and cooperate with investigations.

The straightforward nature of the question avoids obvious bias, but media coverage and public discourse around these cases often conflate civil liability with criminal guilt, potentially benefiting political actors who wish to either minimize or amplify the significance of the civil verdicts ^[6].