Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers call for new trial after juror's sexual abuse claim

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan, who presided over Maxwell's trial, the lawyer for the British socialite said there were "incontrovertible grounds" for a new trial to serve the interest of justice. Maxwell's lawyer Christian Everdell filed the letter shortly after prosecutors who won Maxwell's conviction for recruiting underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse asked Nathan to open an inquiry into the juror's statements.

A lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted last week of aiding Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuses, on Wednesday said she deserves a new trial, after one of her jurors told media including Reuters that he had been a victim of sexual abuse. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan, who presided over Maxwell's trial, the lawyer for the British socialite said there were "incontrovertible grounds" for a new trial to serve the interest of justice.

Maxwell's lawyer Christian Everdell filed the letter shortly after prosecutors who won Maxwell's conviction for recruiting underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse asked Nathan to open an inquiry into the juror's statements. The juror, who asked to be identified only by his first and middle names, Scotty David, told Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/people-ghislaine-maxwell/some-ghislaine-maxwell-jurors-initially-doubted-accusers-juror-says-idINL1N2TL076 he "flew through" the juror questionnaire used before trial to determine whether prospective jurors could judge Maxwell fairly.

Scotty David said he also did not recall being asked about his experiences with sexual abuse. He said he would have answered honestly. Prosecutors led by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the juror's statements to the media "merit attention" by the court, and asked that a hearing be scheduled about one month from now.

They also said court staff should ask the juror whether he wants a lawyer. Media cited by prosecutors include Reuters, the Daily Mail and The Independent. Maxwell, 60, was convicted on Dec. 29 of sex trafficking and other charges for recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004.

She faces up to 65 years in prison, and had been expected to appeal her conviction, which followed a monthlong trial. Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, killed himself in August 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting his own sex trafficking trial.

 

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