Ghislaine Maxwell’s Conviction Upheld After Judge Rejects Latest Appeal
Judge Denies Ghislaine Maxwell’s Appeal Against Conviction and Sentence
NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge rejected Ghislaine Maxwell's bid to throw out her conviction and 20-year prison sentence for helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.
Details of the Judge’s Decision
In a decision made public on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer said Maxwell's claims were all meritless, and all or almost all were frivolous.
Maxwell’s Legal Arguments
Maxwell, 64, who represented herself, challenged her December 2021 conviction and sentence in Manhattan federal court, and sought a writ of habeas corpus declaring her punishment unlawful.
Prosecutors’ Response
Prosecutors said her latest claims were baseless or filed too late.
Claims Regarding Epstein Files Transparency Act
Maxwell said many documents disclosed earlier this year through the Epstein Files Transparency Act show that her due process rights were violated because lawyers representing Epstein's accusers served as "De Facto Prosecutors and agents of the government."
Judge’s Assessment of New Evidence
But the judge said this supposedly "new" evidence was largely irrelevant to Maxwell's case.
Reporting and Editorial Credits
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Mark Porter)
