What were the outcomes of the lawsuits Carroll filed against Trump and what damages were awarded?
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Executive summary
E. Jean Carroll won two related civil judgments against Donald Trump: a May 2023 jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll and ordered $5 million in damages, a verdict the 2nd U.S. Circuit later affirmed (mandate and rehearing requests followed) [1] [2]. Separately, a later trial and appeals process produced an $83.3 million damages award for defamation tied to other statements, which federal appeals courts also upheld [3] [4].
1. The two cases in plain terms — assault plus separate defamation damages
Carroll brought multiple suits that bifurcated into an initial federal trial where a jury found Trump sexually abused her in the 1990s and defamed her in 2022, awarding a combined $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages; that judgment was later affirmed on appeal [1] [2]. A separate damages-only proceeding related to other presidential-era public statements resulted in a jury awarding roughly $83.3 million for defamation; appeals courts upheld that larger award [4] [3].
2. What the juries actually found — liability but not criminal rape as defined
Jurors in the earlier 2023 federal trial did not find criminal rape under New York law but did conclude Trump sexually abused Carroll and later defamed her; that factual finding underlies the $5 million judgment that later drew appellate review [5] [6]. The courts distinguished civil liability (preponderance of the evidence) from criminal definitions and outcomes [5] [6].
3. How the appeals courts ruled — affirmation, rehearing bids, and en banc denials
A three-judge panel of the Second Circuit rejected Trump’s challenges and affirmed the $5 million verdict, concluding the trial judge’s evidentiary rulings were within permissible bounds; Trump sought rehearing en banc and then asked the Supreme Court for review [7] [2] [8]. Separately, a federal appeals panel also affirmed the roughly $83.3 million defamation award, describing Trump’s conduct as “remarkably high” and finding the damages justified by sustained public attacks on Carroll [4] [3].
4. The math: amounts and what they covered
The smaller award was a combined compensatory and punitive $5 million from the federal civil jury that addressed sexual abuse and defamation claims from the first trial [1]. The much larger, roughly $83.3 million award came from a subsequent damages trial focused on defamation tied to statements Carroll said harmed her while Trump was president; appeals courts upheld that sum [4] [9].
5. Competing narratives and legal arguments — judge rulings versus Trump’s claims
Trump’s legal team argued the trial judge misapplied evidentiary rules (for example by allowing testimony from other accusers and playing the “Access Hollywood” tape) and portrayed Carroll’s account as politically motivated and “implausible,” seeking reversal up to the Supreme Court [10] [11] [8]. Appeals panels, however, found the district judge’s rulings fell within acceptable discretion and that any claimed errors were harmless, supporting the juries’ findings [1] [2].
6. Broader implications — civil liability, presidential statements and immunity questions
Courts have treated these outcomes as civil findings of liability and significant awards for reputational and emotional harms; the litigation raised broader legal questions about official-act immunity when defendants make statements while in office — an issue that drew amicus interest and remains part of ongoing appellate and certiorari strategy [3] [8]. Available sources do not detail a final Supreme Court resolution as of the most recent reports provided (not found in current reporting).
7. Where the record stands and what to watch next
As reported, appellate panels affirmed both the $5 million judgment and the later $83.3 million defamation award; Trump filed petitions seeking further review, including to the Supreme Court [2] [8] [3]. Future courtroom developments to monitor are any Supreme Court decisions on review, any post-appeal enforcement or collection steps, and whether courts revisit the immunity arguments raised by Trump’s lawyers [8] [3]. Available sources do not list final collection results or whether Carroll has received the awarded sums in full (not found in current reporting).
Limitations: this account relies only on the supplied reporting and appellate summaries; it does not attempt to resolve contested credibility beyond what juries and courts concluded, and it notes where plaintiffs’ and defendants’ legal theories conflict as reflected in the cited sources [11] [1].