Have any courts or juries ruled on allegations of rape against Donald Trump?
Executive summary
A federal civil jury in New York found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll and for defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million; the jury did not find him liable for rape under New York’s narrow statutory rape definition (the verdict has been upheld on appeal) [1] [2] [3]. Multiple later rulings and appeals have affirmed parts of the judgment: a Second Circuit panel upheld the $5 million verdict and declined en banc rehearing in 2024–2025, and Trump has continued to pursue appeals, including a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court [4] [5] [2].
1. A high‑profile civil jury verdict — what it covered and what it did not
In May 2023 a Manhattan federal jury found Trump liable to E. Jean Carroll for sexual abuse and for defaming her when he denied her allegation; the jurors awarded Carroll $5 million and explicitly did not find Trump liable for rape as defined under New York law at that time [1] [2]. Multiple outlets and court opinions characterize the jury’s finding as one of sexual abuse or battery rather than a legal finding of rape under the statutory elements presented to jurors [1] [2].
2. Appellate affirmations and continued litigation
The Second Circuit reviewed the case and in December 2024 upheld the district court’s evidentiary rulings and the verdict; later requests for rehearing en banc were denied in 2025, and Trump has sought review by the U.S. Supreme Court as part of ongoing appeals [4] [5] [2]. Court filings and appellate opinions show judges scrutinized evidentiary questions — notably admission of other women’s testimony and a 2005 recording — under federal rules allowing evidence of other sexual assaults in such claims [4].
3. How courts and journalists describe the factual finding about “rape”
Judges and reporters have noted a distinction between how the word “rape” is used colloquially and the specific legal finding the jury reached. Some judges and coverage state the jury did not find legal liability for rape under New York’s statutory definition, while other statements in judicial orders and reporting have used broader language — including discussion that the jury found forcible penetration by fingers in a medical or common‑language sense — creating room for competing characterizations in public discourse [2] [6] [1].
4. Why this matters for criminal liability vs. civil judgment
The Carroll case was a civil trial over battery/sexual abuse and defamation; civil liability and damages differ from criminal convictions and standards. Reporting and court documents make clear the outcome was a civil money judgment, not a criminal conviction, and appeals have focused on civil‑process and evidentiary issues rather than criminal procedure [1] [4] [2]. Available sources do not mention any criminal conviction against Trump on Carroll’s allegation.
5. Other allegations and ongoing civil filings in 2024–2025
Beyond Carroll, media and court reports note numerous other women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct over decades; some have filed civil suits or refiled complaints (e.g., a Jane Doe lawsuit refiled in federal court alleging rape as a minor), and such matters remain in the pleadings or pretrial stages in some instances [3] [7]. Coverage shows a complicated mosaic: many allegations, a few litigated civil cases with varied outcomes, and continuing litigation and appeals [3] [7].
6. Competing narratives and how sources frame them
Mainstream court reporting (AP, PBS, court opinions) emphasizes the jury’s civil finding of sexual abuse and the appellate affirmations [1] [8] [4]. Some legal summaries and media accounts highlight that judges described Carroll’s “rape” allegation as “substantially true” in ruling contexts, which supporters of Carroll cite as corroboration; Trump’s camp has repeatedly contested both the factual and legal characterizations and pursued appeals [3] [5]. Readers should note that language choice — “rape,” “sexual abuse,” “forcible touching,” “battery” — has legal consequences and is used differently by courts and commentators [6] [1].
7. Limitations in the public record and what reporting does not say
Available sources do not mention any criminal jury or court that convicted Trump on a rape charge arising from Carroll’s allegation; they do not report a criminal verdict in that matter [1] [2]. For other allegations referenced in media, many remain in civil pleadings or pretrial phases and are not resolved by a jury finding of criminal guilt in the public reporting cited here [7] [3].
Conclusion — the narrow answer readers seek: a federal civil jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll and for defamation, but did not find him liable for rape under the New York statutory definition; that civil verdict has been upheld on appeal and remains the central court ruling directly addressing a specific “rape” allegation in the sources reviewed [1] [4] [2].