Supreme Court again delays decision on Trump’s appeal in E. Jean Carroll case

The Supreme Court has again postponed consideration of President Donald Trump’s request to review the $5 million civil judgment against him in the sexual abuse and defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll.

The case stems from Carroll’s 2022 federal lawsuit alleging that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in 1996 and later defamed her by dismissing her claims as a “hoax.” A jury sided with Carroll in 2023, awarding her $5 million. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the verdict in late 2024.

Trump’s appeal to the Supreme Court, filed in November 2025, argues that the trial court improperly allowed testimony from other women who accused him of assault as well as the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood tape. Carroll’s legal team countered that any such evidence did not affect the outcome given the strength of the overall case.

The petition has been fully briefed since January, but the justices have now rescheduled consideration of the case 11 times, most recently on Wednesday. The court has not provided an explanation for the repeated delays.

Legal observers have speculated that the postponements could be related to a separate $83 million defamation judgment Carroll won against Trump, which he has indicated he may also ask the Supreme Court to review.

The justices are currently scheduled to discuss the petition at a private conference Thursday, though the matter could be postponed again.