Get the most recent news updates from our journalists all over the United States delivered directly to your email inbox every weekday.
Get up-to-date with the most recent news from all over the United States.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s sibling has alleged that the American justice system is biased and claimed that his sister, who was convicted of sex trafficking, did not have a just trial. This comes ahead of an important appeal hearing scheduled for next month.
In 2021, the previous wealthy woman was convicted of participating in the trafficking of underage girls for the disgraced billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein, for ten years. She received a 20-year prison sentence.
Recently, Ian Maxwell has stated that three jurors in the upcoming appeal may not have been able to make unbiased decisions due to their personal experiences with sexual abuse. This appeal is crucial for his sister, as it could potentially result in a retrial on all five charges and overturn her sentence.
Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Mr Maxwell said: “The American justice system and the court were biased against my sister, and she didn’t get a fair trial.
“How can the evidence in a case of sexual abuse be impartially and objectively evaluated? Ghislaine’s conviction should be overturned based on this factor alone.”
Maxwell is situated behind a wired enclosure at FCI Tallahassee.
In 2019, Maxwell was convicted of persuading and preparing four adolescents for sexual exploitation by her partner, Epstein. He was awaiting his own trial for sex trafficking before his death by suicide in prison.
According to Judge Alison Nathan, who oversaw the case, Maxwell’s actions were “cruel and predatory.” The court also received distressing accounts from victims who shared how Maxwell enticed them to Epstein’s residences where they were subjected to abuse.
The focus now shifts to 12 March, when a panel of three judges may dramatically reverse Maxwell’s conviction by proving that multiple jurors committed perjury, potentially leading to her freedom.
The defence team for Maxwell contends that shortly after her guilty verdict was handed down, new information came to light that undermined her conviction. A juror, identified as Scotty David, disclosed in an interview with The Independent that they too had been a victim of sexual abuse.
He made a surprising statement, stating that his personal experiences aided in persuading his fellow jurors that Maxwell’s accusers were being truthful.
Despite the explosive revelation, Judge Nathan maintained that Mr. David’s personal experience would not have made him ineligible for the proceedings, preventing the entire conviction from being jeopardized.
Another member of the jury later revealed that they had also been a victim of sexual abuse. The defense team for Maxwell also suspects that a third juror may have also falsified their claims of abuse, which according to Mr. Maxwell, prevented the defense from being able to challenge their selection as jurors.
Maxwell, a former socialite, was convicted of trafficking underage girls on behalf of disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
In a decision made in April 2022, four months following Maxwell’s conviction, Judge Nathan stated that she would not have disqualified Scotty David from the jury if he had initially revealed his history of abuse.
Prosecutors who were against a retrial also stated that other potential jurors in the case had reported experiencing sexual abuse, but were still deemed qualified to serve.
The team representing Maxwell is still working on strengthening her argument for the upcoming hearing on March 12. They will reiterate their previous argument that she had the right to trust a non-prosecution agreement from 2007, in which Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution charges in Florida and received immunity for himself and potential co-conspirators in exchange for information about allegations of sexual abuse at his home in Palm Beach.
According to Mr. Maxwell, “the USA broke its promise,” and the court condoned the prosecution’s shameful ignorance of this fact.
In 2021, Judge Nathan made two rulings stating that a previous agreement made 14 years ago with state attorneys in Florida does not restrict authorities in New York from pressing charges. The judge determined that the arguments presented by Maxwell’s lawyers on this issue were not convincing.
The US government lawyers are requesting that the appeal court maintain Maxwell’s conviction, and they also stated that she does not have the right to use the NPA’s protections because she was not involved in the agreement as a signatory or third party.
Maxwell argues in her appeal that she was wrongly convicted of crimes that were not included in the charges against her. She claims that the court failed to rectify the jury’s misunderstanding of certain elements of the charges, a point which federal prosecutors dispute.
Mr. Maxwell made a final attempt to challenge his sister’s conviction by stating, “The case against her was filled with significant procedural and legal errors, and the alleged crimes were so old that they should not have been prosecuted under the US Statute of Limitations.”
The claim was also rejected by Judge Nathan who stated that the US Congress’s decision in 2006 to eliminate time restrictions for prosecuting child sex trafficking cases also applied to those mentioned in Maxwell’s indictment.
Maxwell has requested for the appeal court to consider a less severe punishment if a new trial is not granted. However, the prosecution maintains that her sentence is just and rejects her brief and undeveloped reasoning against it.
During her trial, four individuals provided testimony against Maxwell, detailing her involvement in enabling Epstein’s abusive behavior.
During her trial, a statement describing the impact on the victim was presented on behalf of Virginia Giuffre, who did not provide testimony. In the statement, Ms. Giuffre, who has since reached a settlement in a sexual assault case involving Prince Andrew, stated that “without a doubt, Jeffrey Epstein was a terrible pedophile.” She also expressed that she would have never been introduced to Jeffrey Epstein if it weren’t for the actions of the person on trial, who she believes opened the door to a hellish experience for herself and many others.
Maxwell, the daughter of the deceased media mogul and con artist Robert Maxwell, is currently incarcerated in Tallahassee prison, a low-security facility in Florida. It is reported that she has made numerous grievances, such as the absence of vegan food choices and the inability to obtain black hair dye.
According to a recent report on FCI (Federal Correctional Institution) Tallahassee, the prison is in poor condition. The walls and ceilings have black mould, the storage facilities are falling apart and there were rotting vegetables in the fridges. Inmates were also served mouldy bread. The cafeteria had broken stools with sharp edges that could be used as weapons, as well as leaking windows and many dead insects.
The Independent was informed by prison officials that they would not address any grievances from prisoners, citing reasons of privacy, safety, and security.
Maxwell’s release date is set for July of 2037.
Source: independent.co.uk
