OAN’s Brooke Mallory
12:43 PM – Tuesday, March 12, 2024
On Tuesday, Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney will request a U.S. appeals court to reverse the British sex trafficker’s conviction and 20-year prison sentence for her role in assisting the late financier and pedophilic sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who was notorious for abusing adolescent girls and passing them off to his friends and colleagues.
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Maxwell’s appeal is scheduled for oral arguments before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan at 2:00 p.m. ET.
In December 2021, Maxwell, then 62, was found guilty on five counts of recruiting and preparing four minors for sexual abuse by her ex-love interest, Epstein, and other unknown clients from 1994 to 2004.
It is not anticipated that the court will make its call immediately since it is likely to be a lengthy process.
In August 2019, Epstein allegedly committed suicide in a Manhattan jail, just over a month after his arrest and subsequent sex trafficking charges. Since then, his victims have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars from his estate and from banks that were purportedly involved in transactions that helped to fund his sexual deviance.
In addition, the controversy has destroyed the reputations of public figures who were once friends with the disgraced financier, such as Prince Andrew of the Royal Family.
Maxwell is the daughter of the late Robert Maxwell, a British media magnate who was rumored to be a spy for Mossad, the national intelligence agency of the State of Israel. He was also accused of spying for MI6, Britain’s intelligence agency. However, these claims have not been proven.
Maxwell’s attorneys claimed in her appeal that because Epstein had passed away and “public outrage” required that the prosecution assign blame, they had made her the victim of scapegoating.
The government’s delay in filing charges, according to Maxwell’s attorneys, was excessive, and her legal defense claims that she is protected by a 2007 non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and federal prosecutors in Florida.
Furthermore, Maxwell’s attorneys went on to say that one juror had concealed the fact that he had experienced childhood sexual abuse, tainting the trial. However, the prosecution feels that there is no merit to the appeal.
While citing Circuit Judge Alison Nathan’s ruling that Maxwell caused her victims “incalculable” harm, they assert that a significant sentence would send a message to those who exploit and sexually abuse minors.
Maxwell currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida, in a low-security prison. July 2037 is when she is eligible for release.
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