Fact check: What was the outcome of E. Jean Carroll's case against Donald Trump?

1. Summary of the results

E. Jean Carroll won two separate civil cases against Donald Trump:

• The first case resulted in a $5 million judgment, where Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation ^[1]. The jury awarded $2 million for battery and nearly $3 million for defamation ^[2].
• The second case resulted in a much larger $83.3 million verdict for defamation, broken down as $11 million for reputation damage, $7.3 million for emotional harm, and $65 million in punitive damages ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual points need to be considered:

• The first verdict was upheld by the federal appeals court in an 8-2 vote, rejecting Trump's petition for a rehearing ^[4]
• This was a civil trial, not criminal, with a lower burden of proof - "preponderance of evidence" rather than "beyond reasonable doubt" ^[5]
• Trump did not attend the trial or testify in his defense ^[5]
• While the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse, they did not find him guilty of rape under the narrow legal definition at the time ^[6]
• The jury in the second case deliberated for less than three hours before reaching their verdict ^[7]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself doesn't contain bias, but there are important perspectives to consider:

• Carroll and her supporters view this as a victory for women's rights, with Carroll stating it's "a great victory for every woman who stands up when she's been knocked down" ^[8]
• Her attorney emphasized that the verdict demonstrates that the law applies equally to everyone, including former presidents ^[8]
• Trump has consistently maintained his intention to appeal these verdicts, which aligns with his broader legal strategy in other cases ^[7]
• The size of the second verdict ($83.3 million) was specifically designed to deter future defamatory behavior ^[7]