Judge orders release of $5.8 million

A federal judge in New York ordered on July 8 that E. Jean Carroll can receive the $5.8 million Donald Trump deposited with the court after a 2023 jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her. The order by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan came after the Supreme Court on June 29 declined to hear Trump’s appeal of that verdict. NBC News reported the sum included the $5 million jury award and roughly $800,000 in accrued interest. (nbcnews.com) Trump’s lawyers moved quickly to try to keep the money in place while they pursue further review. (cbsnews.com) ### Why was the money sitting in a court account in the first place? The $5 million verdict was entered in May 2023 after a Manhattan jury found Trump liable in Carroll’s civil case. The damages covered sexual abuse and defamation, and the money was later placed in a court-controlled account while Trump pursued appeals, according to CBS News. NBC News reported that the account now holds about $5.8 million because interest accumulated while the case moved through the appellate process. That is the amount Kaplan said could be released to Carroll. (nbcnews.com) ### What changed last week? The Supreme Court on June 29 refused to hear Trump’s bid to overturn the 2023 verdict. That left in place the jury’s finding that Trump sexually abused Carroll in the 1990s and defamed her after she went public with her accusation, according to NBC News and CBS News. (cbsnews.com) CBS News reported that Trump then asked the justices to reconsider, while also seeking to delay transfer of the funds. Such reconsideration requests are rarely granted, NBC News said. (nbcnews.com) ### What exactly did Judge Kaplan order on July 8? Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled Wednesday that the clerk could release the money from the court-controlled bank account to Carroll. CBS News said Trump’s lawyers immediately filed a notice of appeal challenging that release order. (nbcnews.com) CNBC reported that Trump also sought an emergency stay from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after Kaplan acted. That request was aimed at preventing Carroll from collecting the judgment while his lawyers continued their challenge. (cbsnews.com) ### Is this the same case as the $83 million Carroll judgment? The $5.8 million release involves the earlier Carroll case that produced the 2023 verdict. A separate jury later awarded Carroll $83.3 million in another defamation case after finding Trump continued to defame her following the first verdict, according to CBS News and other coverage of the Supreme Court appeal. (cbsnews.com) CBS News reported that Trump is also arguing in the separate $83 million case that presidential immunity should have limited some of the evidence presented to jurors. That issue is distinct from the release of the $5.8 million now held by the court. (cnbc.com) ### What happens next in court? Trump’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal on July 8 after Kaplan’s order, CBS News reported. NBC News said they are also seeking Supreme Court reconsideration tied to the underlying case, even after the justices declined review last week. (cbsnews.com) The next immediate step is in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where Trump sought emergency relief to block the transfer. CBS News said it was not yet clear exactly when the funds would move from the court account to Carroll. (cbsnews.com)