The US Supreme Court has dealt another blow to Donald Trump, refusing to pause proceedings in the E Jean Carroll defamation case. Sources confirm the decision arrived late Tuesday, leaving Trump's legal team scrambling. This comes after a New York jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, ordering him to pay $5m.
Now, British legal experts are watching closely. 'It's a clear signal that no one is above the law, even a former president,' said Professor Alice Walker, a constitutional law scholar at Oxford. 'The rule of law holds, despite relentless attacks.
' The case stems from Carroll's 2019 lawsuit, following Trump's denials of her rape allegation. Trump's lawyers argued presidential immunity, but the courts have repeatedly rejected that. Uncovered documents from the trial show Trump's own deposition where he called Carroll 'a nut job' and a 'liar'.
The Supreme Court's refusal to intervene means the case proceeds to discovery, which could unearth more embarrassing details. Trump, meanwhile, has labelled the ruling 'election interference'. But the money trail tells a different story.
Financial records show Trump's legal defence fund is burning through donations from small-time donors, while his own businesses face scrutiny. The Carroll case is just one front in a multi-pronged legal war. British legal experts, however, are not surprised.
'This is how mature democracies work,' said Dr. James Thornton of the London School of Economics. 'Courts check executive power, even when that executive is a populist.
' The decision has sparked fresh debate on both sides of the Atlantic. Some see it as a vindication of judicial independence. Others, a sign of a system rigged against Trump.
But for the woman at the centre, E Jean Carroll, it's a chance to finally be heard. Her lawyers say they're ready for trial. The next hearing is set for early February.
Stay tuned as this story develops.
