The Supreme Court is set to hold a closed session on February 20, where justices may review several petitions, including one from former President Donald Trump. He is seeking to have a judge reconsider the 2023 ruling against him in a civil case initiated by E. Jean Carroll.
There’s a chance the court could act on Trump’s petition by February 23. However, since justices usually deliberate over petitions in multiple sessions before making decisions, it’s possible that the outcome could be postponed until March 2.
Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, has expressed skepticism regarding the possibility of the Supreme Court stepping in. She stated, “I don’t believe President Trump can raise any legal issues in Carroll that merit review by the U.S. Supreme Court,” according to reports.
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In their petition, Trump’s legal team argued that Carroll’s allegations are “implausible” and “politically motivated.” They criticized the evidentiary decisions made in the case, which they claim allowed Carroll’s lawyers to present certain evidence that the Trump campaign found objectionable.
The lawyers asserted, “President Trump clearly denies that this supposed incident occurred. There is no physical or DNA evidence to back Carroll’s claims. No eyewitnesses, no video, no police reports, no investigations… Carroll has politically opposed him. It seems she waited over 20 years to allege that Trump committed a crime, just when it could cause him the maximum political damage.”
Trump’s attorneys also suggested that Carroll’s claims echoed a storyline from an episode of “Law & Order,” which happens to be one of her favorite shows.
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They challenged the lower court’s acceptance of testimonies from Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who allege they were assaulted by Trump in separate incidents decades ago. They claimed there were inconsistencies in the women’s testimonies and raised concerns about their credibility. Additionally, they opposed the inclusion of the infamous 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape, where Trump made controversial comments that resurfaced during the 2016 election.
Carroll, a journalist, has sued Trump twice following her 2019 book, in which she accused him of raping her in 1996. Trump has continuously denied her allegations, labeling them as the fabrications of a “complete fraudster” and insisting that Carroll was “not his type.”
In October 2022, Trump claimed he didn’t know Carroll, other than having seen a photo of them together at a charity event years prior. His public denials and disparagement of Carroll eventually led to the defamation lawsuit.
A jury found Trump not liable for rape but guilty of sexual abuse and defamation in May 2023, resulting in an order for him to pay Carroll a total of $5 million in damages.
