Ghislaine Maxwell Loses Appeal Bid: Next Stop, Supreme Court?

Ghislaine Maxwell's request for an en banc review by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was denied, leaving her 2021 conviction intact. Her legal team plans to appeal to the Supreme Court. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in helping Jeffrey Epstein abuse minors.

A U.S. appeals court has turned down British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell's attempt to overturn her conviction related to Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of teenage girls.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan rejected Maxwell's request for an en banc review, upholding her 2021 conviction. A panel had already dismissed several arguments on September 17. Maxwell, 62, still hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will hear her case. She's currently serving a 20-year sentence in Tallahassee, Florida, with a potential release date in July 2037.

Maxwell was found guilty on charges of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein from 1994 to 2004. The appeals court highlighted her essential role in the abuse. Her legal team argued that Epstein's 2007 non-prosecution agreement should protect her. They also want the Supreme Court to review interpretations of plea agreements affecting her case.

(With inputs from agencies.)