Supreme Court just slammed the door on Donald Trump and there’s nowhere left to run
The US Supreme Court has rejected Donald Trump’s latest attempt to challenge the decision in E. Jean Carroll’s sexual abuse and defamation case, bringing the long-running legal battle to an end.
On Monday, the Supreme Court refused Trump’s request to reconsider his appeal in the case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. The decision means the jury’s finding against Trump remains in place. The jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in New York in the 1990s and later defamed her by publicly calling her a liar.
The Supreme Court gave its decision in a short order without explaining its reasons. None of the justices recorded a dissent. The court had already rejected Trump’s appeal once in June, but he asked the justices to look at the case again. They rejected that request as well.
Joyce Vance, a former federal prosecutor, said in a new essay that Trump likely knew his chances of winning were very small. She argued that the latest Supreme Court decision gives Carroll a chance to finally move on from the case and see the judgment against Trump stand.
Vance said the legal battle is now effectively over and that the money awarded to Carroll belongs to her. However, she said the most important part for Carroll may be that the jury’s decision remains officially recognised.
She pointed out that a civil jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and later defaming her. Vance also noted that Carroll had previously explained that she did not report the incident to the police at the time.
Vance highlighted what she described as an irony in Trump’s legal fight. During the original trial, Trump’s lawyers argued that Carroll should not be believed because she did not come forward publicly for many years. However, Carroll said she had told two friends about what happened, and those friends later gave evidence in court.
Vance also pointed to the impact the case had on Carroll’s career. After Carroll’s book about the allegations was published, she lost her long-running position as an advice columnist at Elle magazine. Her contract was ended early and she was dismissed.
Although the magazine said the decision was not connected to Trump, Vance questioned the circumstances surrounding Carroll’s dismissal. She argued that the case showed how difficult it could be for a woman to speak publicly about serious allegations, especially when doing so could affect her career and future.
