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Ghislaine Maxwell's bid to overturn sex trafficking conviction rejected
A federal judge in New York has rejected a bid by Ghislaine Maxwell to overturn her conviction and 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. In a 67-page ruling, Judge Paul Engelmayer dismissed Maxwell’s habeas corpus petition, describing her claims as “meritless,” “frivolous,” and “lengthy and rambling.”
Maxwell, who was convicted in December 2021 for her role in recruiting and sexually abusing underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein, argued that newly released documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act proved her constitutional rights were violated. However, the judge ruled that the materials were largely irrelevant to her specific charges and, in some instances, actually incriminated her or reinforced the validity of her original conviction.
The judge noted that Maxwell’s arguments were often procedurally barred or had already been rejected during previous appeals. Maxwell is currently serving her sentence in a prison in Texas.
Entities
Ghislaine Maxwell · Jeffrey Epstein · Manhattan federal court · Paul Engelmayer · Southern District of New York · U.S. Department of Justice · U.S. House Oversight Committee