Federal Appeals Court Upholds $5 Million Verdict Against Trump

On December 30, 2024, a federal appeals court upheld a $5 million judgment against former President Donald Trump in a sexual assault and defamation lawsuit filed by writer E. Jean Carroll.

Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her at a New York luxury department store in the mid-1990s; in May 2023, a jury found Trump liable for both assault and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages. Trump appealed the decision, but the appeals court rejected his claims and upheld the original ruling.

With Trump set to take office as president on January 20, 2025, the decision marks a significant legal milestone, just weeks before his inauguration.