Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell have filed a motion for a retrial after news came to light about one of the juror's own experiences with sexual abuse.
Maxwell was found guilty of five charges in her sex trafficking trial last month, with Manhattan US attorney Damian Williams saying at the time she was convicted of 'one of the worst crimes imaginable: facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children.'
The verdict came after a weeks-long trial and days of deliberations from the jury, who confirmed after the verdict was announced that it was unanimous.
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Maxwell faces up to 65 years in prison for her crimes, however recently it emerged that one of the jurors in her case admitted telling other jurors he was sexually abused as a child.
According to Sky News, the juror, who has not been named, used his experiences to persuade others to convict Maxwell.
Earlier this month, Maxwell's lawyers hit back at the news in a letter written to Judge Alison Nathan, claiming the issue 'presents incontrovertible grounds for a new trial.'
In another letter to the judge on Wednesday, January 19, lawyer Bobbi Sternheim wrote: 'Today, counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell filed her Motion For A New Trial (the "motion") and accompanying exhibits under seal. For the reasons set forth in the motion, we request that all submissions pertaining to Juror No 50 remain under seal until the court rules on the motion.'
Reuters reports that the juror did not disclose his experiences with sexual abuse during the pretrial screening, when prospective jurors were asked in a questionnaire whether they had ever been a victim of sexual abuse.
The juror told Reuters he did not remember the question, but that he would have answered honestly.
Maxwell was found guilty in her trial of sex-trafficking, conspiracy to entice individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, conspiracy to transport individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; transportation of an individual under the age of 17 with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under the age of 18.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 between 12pm–2.30pm and 7pm– 9.30pm every day. Alternatively, you can contact Victim Support free on 08 08 16 89 111 available 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas
Topics: Crime, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Sex Trafficking, US News, no-article-matching
Emily Brown