The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Tuesday granted a temporary stay of a mandate requiring former President Donald Trump to pay approximately $83 million to E. Jean Carroll in a defamation lawsuit. The stay halts enforcement of the judgment while Trump pursues further appellate review, including a potential petition for a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The order, issued by a three-judge panel consisting of Circuit Judges Denny Chin, Sarah A. L. Merriam, and Maria Araújo Kahn (docket number 24-644), requires Trump to increase the bond posted by $7,462,492.74 to cover post-judgment interest expected to accrue through October 2027. Trump must increase the bond within 21 days and provide notice to the court within five calendar days of doing so. Carroll did not oppose the motion for the stay, provided the bond increase is made.
The underlying litigation originated from Carroll’s 2019 public accusation that Trump raped her in the 1990s in a New York department store. Carroll later filed separate defamation claims alleging that Trump’s public denials of the allegations, made both during and after his presidency, damaged her reputation. The jury ultimately awarded Carroll $83 million for defamation.
The case has drawn widespread attention and controversy, with questions raised about the evidence presented. Some materials cited by Trump’s legal team were excluded from the trial, including a media interview and certain hypothetical statements Carroll made in the past. Additionally, a New York law known as the Adult Survivors Act temporarily expanded the statute of limitations for certain civil claims, allowing Carroll to file her lawsuit despite prior time limits.
Trump’s appeal is ongoing, and the Second Circuit’s stay ensures that the judgment will not be enforced while further legal review continues. The additional bond is intended to protect the award amount in the event that the Supreme Court declines review or upholds the lower court’s decision.