Ghislaine Maxwell's attorneys are likely to file a formal plea on Wednesday to have the British socialite's sex abuse conviction reversed, citing a juror's apparent failure to reveal that he was sexually assaulted as a kid before the trial.
Maxwell, 60, was found guilty on five counts of sex trafficking and other charges on Dec. 29, 2021, for recruiting and grooming underaged females to have sexual relations with Jeffrey Epstein, a late billionaire and convicted sex offender. Maxwell may face a sentence of up to 65 years in jail.
Ghislaine Maxwell to formally request a retrial
However, her attorneys stated earlier this month that there were "incontrovertible grounds" for a new trial after a juror, Scotty David, who preferred to be named only by his first and middle names, revealed being molested as a kid during jury deliberations to Reuters and other news sites.
This generated suspicions that he had concealed his misuse throughout pretrial screening. In a questionnaire, potential jurors were asked if they had ever been a victim of sexual abuse. Scotty David told Reuters that he couldn't recall the question but would have replied truthfully.
Prosecutors now have until February 2 to reply to Maxwell's motion, which requests that US District Judge Alison Nathan launch an investigation into the juror's remarks. Even if the juror did not report his abuse on the questionnaire, legal experts said Maxwell would not be assured a fresh trial, adding that incidents of juror dishonesty that resulted in judgments being overturned often involved jurors who actively lied in order to be picked, as per Reuters.
Lady Victoria claims Maxwell is Epstein's victim
Two acquaintances indicated in an ITV program that Prince Andrew and Maxwell were more than buddies. Paul Page, a former Buckingham Palace royal protection officer, and Euan Rellie, a university friend of Maxwell's, both believed the two were closer than what was previously supposed. Virginia Giuffre has filed a sexual assault legal complaint against Prince Andrew in New York, and he has categorically refuted all charges. The ITV documentary accusations elicited no response from Prince Andrew's representatives.
Last week, it was revealed that the king is facing a legal action over accusations that he sexually abused Giuffre when she was just 17 years old in 2001. All of the charges, as well as any misconduct, are categorically denied by the prince, according to Independent.
During an interview on ITV's Lorraine this morning, Lady Victoria Hervey portrayed convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell as a "victim" and a "scapegoat." In the early 2000s, socialite Lady Victoria made acquaintance with Ghislaine Maxwell, attending parties and gatherings with her and Jeffrey Epstein before the latter was convicted of child sex charges for the first time.
Lady Victoria told broadcaster Lorraine Kelly from Los Angeles that she believes humiliated socialite Ghislaine was a victim. The socialite admitted that she felt "used by the pair" at the time, but added that she was "naive and having fun." Lady Victoria claimed she watched Maxwell's trial in New York, where a jury convicted her guilty of child sex trafficking, but found it "disappointing" because of the lack of publicity, Mirror reported.
Related Article : Ghislaine Maxwell Defense Team Seeks Retrial After Juror's Sex Abuse Claims as Prosecutors Request Inquiry
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