A Manhattan federal judge has ordered the immediate release of approximately $5.8m in court-held funds to E. Jean Carroll, rejecting Donald Trump’s latest attempt to delay payment. Judge Lewis Kaplan issued the directive on Wednesday, confirming that the principal $5,000,000.00 jury award from a 2023 sexual abuse and defamation trial, plus interest, must be disbursed despite Trump’s pending petition for rehearing at the US Supreme Court.
Why did Judge Kaplan order the release of the funds?
Judge Kaplan’s order follows the US Supreme Court’s June 29 decision to decline review of Trump’s appeal. According to court records, the funds were placed in a court-controlled account about six weeks after Carroll’s win under a stipulation between the legal teams of both parties. Lead Carroll attorney Roberta Kaplan stated in filings that the agreement explicitly required the release of these funds upon specific legal milestones, such as the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case. “After four years of litigation across every level of the federal court system, it is time for this case to end,” Roberta Kaplan argued.
The total amount released to E. Jean Carroll includes the original $5,000,000.00 jury award plus 11% interest that accrued while the funds were held in the court-controlled account.
How did Trump’s legal team attempt to block the payment?
Trump’s lawyers argued that disbursing the money while a petition for rehearing remains pending at the Supreme Court would cause Trump “irreparable harm.” In their request to Judge Kaplan, the defense claimed that Carroll’s intent to donate collected funds to third parties would make the money unrecoverable if the judgment were later overturned. They further asserted that the agreement between counsel did not permit collection while the rehearing petition was active. Judge Kaplan ultimately dismissed these arguments, directing the Clerk of Court to disburse both the principal and the post-judgment interest.
What are the broader implications for civil litigation?
This case highlights the standard practice of using court-controlled accounts, or escrow, during appellate processes to ensure that a judgment remains collectible.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why was the money held by the court? It was placed in a court-controlled account in 2023 as a condition during the appeals process.
- Can Trump still appeal the decision? Trump has filed a petition for rehearing with the Supreme Court, but the judge ordered the release of the funds regardless of that pending action.
- What happens to the interest? The order directs the Clerk to disburse the value of the principal judgment along with all accrued post-judgment interest.
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