Ghislaine Maxwell, a Jeffrey Epstein accomplice, is unsuccessful in her appeal of her convictions

UNITED STATES: A US judge has denied Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal against her conviction for sex trafficking. In December 2021, Maxwell, 62, was found guilty of aiding and abetting infamous businessman Jeffrey Epstein in the sexual exploitation of minor girls. In June 2022, she received a 20-year prison sentence. The Second US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan’s judges determined that Maxwell’s sentence was “procedurally reasonable” and upheld her five convictions.

According to a Maxwell attorney, the decision will be appealed to the US Supreme Court. 2019 saw the suicide of Maxwell’s ex-boyfriend Epstein in a Manhattan jail cell, five weeks after he was taken into custody and accused of sex trafficking.

Sex trafficking

Maxwell had argued that she ought to be released in accordance with an agreement made in 2008 between Epstein and federal prosecutors in Florida. Prosecutors agreed not to prosecute his accused co-conspirators under the terms of the agreement. The British socialite “should never have been prosecuted,” according to Maxwell’s attorneys’ March argument, because of the “weird” deal.

Three judges, however, rejected her arguments, stating that Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement was meant to bind just southern Florida prosecutors. In addition, Maxwell’s arguments that her trial was unfairly denied because a juror concealed his history of childhood sexual assault were rejected by the ruling.

Using resources through gifts and promises

According to Maxwell’s attorney, she will now file an appeal with the US Supreme Court challenging her conviction. Arthur Aidala released a statement saying, “We vehemently disagree with the outcome and we are obviously very disappointed by the court’s decision.”

Four women testified during Maxwell’s 2022 trial that they had experienced abuse at Epstein’s houses in Florida, New York, New Mexico, and the Virgin Islands when they were kids. They related how Maxwell, the daughter of Robert Maxwell, the former owner of the Daily Mirror, had persuaded them to give Epstein massages, which escalated into an intimate encounter. They said Epstein used gifts and promises of using his resources and contacts to help them, luring them in.

Throughout her trial, Maxwell’s attorneys argued that the prosecution had delayed too long to file charges against her and that she had not had enough time to prepare for her trial. However, the court dismissed their attempts to have the case dismissed.