Judge Directs Release of $5 Million Judgment to E. Jean Carroll

Why it matters locally: The federal judge who directed the release of the funds is based in New York, and the civil case against former President Trump, involving E. Jean Carroll, was heard in a New York court.

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A federal judge in New York has directed that $5 million awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll be released. The order by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan came after a jury in May found former President Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation against Carroll. Trump's legal team had sought to delay the transfer of the funds while they pursued an appeal. They argued against the immediate release of the money, which Trump had placed into a court-controlled escrow account. However, Judge Kaplan ruled there was no legal basis to prevent Carroll from accessing the judgment. The May 9 verdict awarded Carroll approximately $5 million. The jury concluded that Trump sexually abused Carroll in the 1990s and then defamed her when he denied her claims in 2022. Trump previously stated his intention to appeal the civil verdict.