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| US President-elect Donald Trump | Photo: Reuters |
The Manhattan Court of Appeals ruled against Trump after the court had previously denied his request for a retrial in the case. The court said in the order that all evidence, including the testimony of the complainants, had been properly presented in the case.
Carroll alleged that Trump raped her in a dressing room at a New York department store in 1996. She had gone there to buy a gift for a friend. Trump, who was previously known to her, was helping her choose the gift. Carroll also accused Trump of defamation.
Trump denied the rape and defamation allegations against Carroll 20 years before he was first elected president, claiming that Carroll had fabricated the "fiction" to gain publicity.
Trump was convicted of the crime in May of last year, but the jury did not consider it a rape case. The verdict ordered Trump to pay just over $2 million for sexual assault and another $2.9 million for defamation of Carroll.
Meanwhile, in a statement responding to the appeals court ruling, Carroll's lawyer Roberta Kaplan said, "Jane Carroll and I are both pleased with today's decision. We thank the court for its careful consideration of the victim's arguments."
Meanwhile, in a separate defamation case, a Manhattan federal court in January 2019 ordered Trump to pay Carroll more than $8.3 million in damages. Trump has also appealed that ruling.
However, Trump has always denied all the allegations. He also claims that he has never met Carroll. Trump will take office for a second term as US President on January 20. It is believed that the case will continue even then.