Ghislaine Maxwell at the pre-trial hearing: “I have not committed any crimes”

The New York Federal Prosecutor’s Office accuses Maxwell of conspiring and soliciting minors to travel for illegal sexual acts and transporting minors for criminal sexual activity for allegedly arranging and recruiting minors from 1994 to 1997.

She is also charged with sex trafficking with a minor from 2001 to 2004, in addition to one charge of sex trafficking conspiracy.

Maxwell’s attorney, Bobbi Sternheim, argued that Maxwell was not guilty of the crime to justify a plea agreement. Maxwell only said at the hearing, “I did not commit any crimes.”

Maxwell ran into the courtroom, clasped in her arms and legs, dressed in a wide blue jumpsuit with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath. She wore brown reading glasses with large frames and black shoulder-length hair.

Maxwell smiled and sent a kiss over her mask to her sister, who responded with a gesture. Maxwell’s sister sat in a public seating area during the nearly four-hour interrogation and left the court without talking to the media.

Maxwell, who has been in federal custody for more than a year, was awakened at 3.45 in her cell and arrived at federal court at 5.38, where she was left alone in a cold cell for several hours and given a small amount of food to eat without utensils. , her lawyer said.

Portrait of loyal defense attorney Jeffrey Epstein stems from Ghislaine Maxwell's unsealed indictment

Sternheim told the court she was forced to climb into a transport van on her hands and knees because she was obstructed by shackles.

Sternheim asked Judge Alison Nathan to arrange for Maxwell to be transported from federal prison to court later when the trial begins, and said conditions for her client on Monday were dire.

Proposals for evidence at trial

Nathan reviewed more than 20 motions by the defense and prosecution and decided on the dock what should and should not be presented to the jury during the upcoming trial at the end of the month.

Nathan ruled that the Florida investigation against Jeffrey Epstein and the subsequent prosecution agreement during the trial were inadmissible.

The judge also said the defense could not call law enforcement as a witness to ask them questions about investigations or question the quality or thoroughness of New York County Southern District’s investigation of Maxwell or the motives for her prosecution. Maxwell’s lawyer claims she was charged only because Epstein died.

The defense cannot provide evidence or testimony that would suggest that Maxwell had won previous civil lawsuits with victims in the case because there was no verdict on the charges and the lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed after the settlement, Nathan ruled.

The Epstein’s victim compensation program will likely come to trial, but attorneys cannot hint that the victims’ settlement program gives credibility to the allegations against Ghislaine Maxwell, the judge said.

Nathan has also ruled that the prosecution may mention the alleged victims during the trial as victims and juveniles, and some witnesses will refer to the open court with pseudonyms or their names to protect their identities from the public, but the jury will be notified of their full names.

As proof, message blocks allegedly containing the victim’s contact information written by Maxwell will be allowed, Nathan had previously ruled. The book, in which prosecutors say Maxwell wrote contact lists for young female victims under the title “massage,” has been under discussion and is likely to be allowed.

Upcoming hearings

A hearing on one of the victims related to the charges will be held in the coming days, at which admissible testimonies and other unresolved motions will be discussed, as well as a hearing to review the prosecution’s request to call a law enforcement expert to trial.

Matters are likely to take place on the same day this week or next. The parties were instructed to schedule this hearing until Tuesday.

Both sides have several meetings on November 2, 5 and 10.

Questionnaires will be forwarded to prospective jurors from Thursday. They will see a short recorded video of Nathan issuing instructions. The first round of individual hearings of future jurors will take place on November 16, a process that the media will be able to see.

A final group of 50 to 60 future jurors will share their vaccination status against Covid-19 with a social distancing planning court, but this will not be considered in the jury selection.

Nathan said the final test of future jurors to form a jury is unlikely to take place until Nov. 29.

.

Leave a Comment

error: Content is protected !!