The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has granted former President Donald Trump a delay in the payment of $83 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, pending the Supreme Court’s review of his appeal. This decision, reported on May 12, allows Trump to postpone the compensation while requiring him to post a bond of $7.4 million to cover potential interest.
The appeals court agreed to the request from one of Trump’s attorneys to defer the payment. Additionally, it upheld a demand from Carroll’s legal team for the bond, ensuring that any accruing interest would be secured during the appeal process.
In late April, the appeals court denied Trump’s request for a full panel review, a rare occurrence, regarding a previous ruling by a three-judge panel that had confirmed a verdict from January 2024. Following this, Trump’s attorney, Justin Smith, sought a stay on the decision, arguing that the Supreme Court might rule in Trump’s favor.
The $83 million compensation was awarded to the 82-year-old Carroll by a jury after she accused Trump of assaulting her in a luxury department store dressing room in Manhattan in 1996. Trump has consistently labeled these allegations as a “fabricated hoax.”
In September 2025, the appellate panel noted that Trump had continued to attack Carroll for at least five years, with his remarks becoming increasingly aggressive as the trial approached. The panel also observed that Trump maintained his attacks during the trial itself.
The jury was instructed to consider the findings of another jury that, in May 2023, awarded Carroll $5 million, determining that Trump had sexually assaulted her and subsequently defamed her after she recounted the incident in her 2019 memoir.
Trump is contesting the $83 million verdict on several grounds, including a claim of “absolute immunity” for comments made during his presidency, where he denied knowing Carroll and questioned her motives. He argues that her actions were politically motivated or aimed at promoting her memoir.
The U.S. Court of Appeals has allowed Donald Trump to delay an $83 million payment to E. Jean Carroll while his appeal is reviewed by the Supreme Court. This decision includes a requirement for Trump to post a bond to cover potential interest during the appeal process.
Source: Associated Press