The Supreme Court will consider President Donald Trump's request to review a jury verdict that found him liable to writer E. Jean Carroll.
The court distributed his petition for the justices' Feb. 20 private conference, according to the docket.
Trump is asking the justices to take up an appeal from the $5 million civil judgment that a federal jury awarded Carroll after finding that she was sexually abused at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan in 1996.
Also to be considered in the appeal, is whether Trump defamed her in 2022 statements, as the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found in its decision.
The high court docket shows the petition was distributed for the Feb. 20 conference, meaning the justices will decide whether to grant or deny review at a closed-door meeting where they consider many cases.
Trump's petition and follow-up filing focus on evidentiary rulings at trial, including the admission of testimony about other alleged sexual assaults and the admission of the "Access Hollywood" tape, and argue that the case raises questions about how federal evidence rules are applied in civil cases involving sexual assault claims.
In his reply brief filed Jan. 28, Trump's lawyers wrote: "It is deeply damaging to the fabric of our Republic for President Trump, in the midst of a historic presidency, to have to take his focus away from his singular and unique duties as Chief Executive to continue fighting against decades-old, false allegations and the myriad wrongs throughout this baseless case.
"This mistreatment of a President cannot be allowed to stand."
Carroll's response urges the court to reject the case, arguing the petition has "vehicle problems" and "none implicates a genuine circuit split."
It also points to the 2nd Circuit's conclusion that any alleged error did not affect the outcome.
The Supreme Court receives roughly 7,000 to 8,000 cert petitions each term and grants argument in about 80 cases, according to the court's own guidance, a dynamic that means most requests for review are denied without comment.
Trump separately appealed a later defamation judgment awarding Carroll $83.3 million over statements he made in 2019 after she publicly accused him of the 1996 assault; the 2nd Circuit upheld that award in September 2025.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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