Donald Trump's legal troubles deepened Monday. The Supreme Court declined to take up his appeal of a $5 million jury judgment in writer E. Jean Carroll's defamation case against him.
The rejection is a win for Carroll and a loss for Trump. By refusing to hear the case, the nation's highest court let the lower court verdict stand — he owes $5 million.
This is only one of two cases Carroll brought against Trump. There is another jury verdict still under appeal that hit him for $83 million in damages. That case is still making its way through the courts, but Monday's decision suggests the legal trajectory favors Carroll.
The Carroll v. Trump saga has been one of the most closely watched defamation battles in recent years. Trump's repeated legal defeats are accumulating. The Supreme Court's refusal to intervene indicates how seriously America's courts are taking her allegations of sexual abuse and defamation.
For Carroll, it is vindication on a national stage. For Trump, the $5 million judgment is now final.
The question now is what happens with the $83 million verdict still under appeal. If past rulings are any indication, Trump's legal team faces more unfavorable outcomes.
