Court Denies Trump Appeal on E. Jean Carroll's $5.8 Million Payment
Is this verdict a landmark moment of accountability or a politically motivated miscarriage of justice?
Above: E. Jean Carroll at the IFC Center in New York City on May 21. Image credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Two separate juries found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, and every appeal has failed. Trump even defamed Carroll again the day after losing the first trial, proving the jury got it right. No amount of money or legal maneuvering changes the fact that a unanimous jury heard the evidence and held him accountable.
Pro-Trump narrative
Carroll couldn't name the year of the alleged incident, declined DNA testing and relied on unsubstantiated "propensity" witnesses with no corroborating evidence. Federal Rules 413-415 let plaintiffs stack juries with inflammatory accusers, gutting the accused's right to a fair trial. A verdict built on procedural shortcuts and character assassination; this is simply a political hit.
