Attorneys for Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, asked a federal judge in New York to dismiss all of the charges relating to her alleged role as a recruiter of young girls for infamous and since-deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a series of motions filed with the Southern District of New York (SDNY) on Monday evening, Maxwell’s legal team argued that the government had deprived her of a fair trial by alleging only vague criminal conduct and obtaining her indictment in violation of the Sixth Amendment.
“The Superseding Indictment in this case is remarkable because it fails to identify an accuser, a specific date that Ms. Maxwell is alleged to have committed a crime, or when anything in furtherance of any alleged conspiracy occurred,” said the motion seeking to dismiss the case on vagueness grounds. “This mishmash of a pleading was carefully crafted to not provide Ms. Maxwell with the necessary information to adequately investigate these false allegations and prepare for trial. Ms. Maxwell is innocent and should not have to guess about what evidence the Government claims warrants her continual incarceration but stubbornly refuses to identify or disclose.”
Her team also asserted that charges against her alleging that she made materially false statements at two civil depositions in 2016 were improperly joined to the sex-trafficking charges and would severely prejudice Maxwell. The alleged perjury occurred in connection with a defamation lawsuit filed against Maxwell by Virginia Giuffre, who has alleged that she was one of dozens of minors sexually abused by Epstein. According to the Maxwell memo, allowing the government to introduce Giuffre’s testimony of alleged sexual abuse, which took place outside of the time period alleged in the indictment, would result in the jury possibly convicting Maxwell “on an improper inference of criminal propensity.”
Additionally, Maxwell claimed that the non-prosecution agreement (NPA) between Epstein and the federal government in 2007 should shield her from prosecution. The agreement—which gave Epstein and his close but unnamed associates blanket immunity from prosecution—was part of Epstein’s deal to plead guilty to state sex crimes (soliciting a minor for prostitution) in Florida.
Prior to Epstein’s death behind bars, federal prosecutors had argued that the Florida NPA did not prevent the government from filing new charges against Epstein for sex-trafficking in New York.
In the event that U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska does not grant the motions to dismiss the charges, Maxwell’s legal team sought to reduce the charges.
Maxwell has pleaded not guilty and her trial is scheduled to begin in July.
Read two of Maxwell’s motions below:
Maxwell MTD by Law&Crime on Scribd
Maxwell MTD Perjury Charges by Law&Crime on Scribd
[image via Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images]
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