NEW YORK --
Ghislaine Maxwell's legal professionals late on Wednesday formally requested for a brand new trial after the British socialite's legal professionals raised concern a couple of juror's potential failure to reveal earlier than the trial that he was sexually abused as a baby.
Maxwell, 60, was convicted on Dec. 29 on 5 counts of intercourse trafficking and different crimes for recruiting and grooming teenage women to have sexual encounters with the late financier and convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell faces as much as 65 years in jail.
"As we speak, counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell filed her movement for a brand new trial," her defence lawyer, Bobbi C. Sternheim, mentioned in a letter to U.S. District Decide Alison J. Nathan.
Within the letter, Sternheim requested that each one submissions pertaining to "Juror No. 50" stay beneath seal till the courtroom guidelines on the movement.
Maxwell's legal professionals mentioned this month there have been "incontrovertible grounds" for a brand new trial after a juror, who requested to be recognized by his first and center names, Scotty David, informed Reuters and different information media that he described being abused as a baby throughout jury deliberations.
The following day Maxwell's lawyer wrote to the choose in search of a brand new trial and New York legal professional Todd Spodek filed an look in Maxwell's case on behalf of Juror No. 50. Spodek didn't reply to a request for remark and has not disclosed his shopper's identify within the Maxwell case.
Issues have been raised that Scotty David didn't disclose his abuse throughout pretrial screening.
Potential jurors have been requested in a questionnaire whether or not they had ever been a sufferer of sexual abuse. Scotty David informed Reuters he didn't bear in mind the query, however that he would have answered actually.
Prosecutors, who've requested that U.S. District Decide Alison Nathan conduct an inquiry into the juror's statements, could have till Feb. 2 to reply to Maxwell's movement.
Authorized specialists informed Reuters that Maxwell wouldn't be assured a brand new trial even when the juror didn't disclose his abuse on the questionnaire, noting that circumstances of juror dishonesty that led to verdicts being overturned typically concerned jurors who intentionally lied in an effort to be chosen.
Nathan final week scheduled Maxwell's sentencing listening to for June 28.
Epstein killed himself in 2019 on the age of 66 in a Manhattan jail cell whereas awaiting trial on intercourse abuse fees.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York and Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; enhancing by Noeleen Walder, Robert Birsel)
Ghislaine Maxwell attends a press convention on the United Nations headquarters on this file picture from June 25, 2013. (United Nations Photograph/Rick Bajornas by way of AP, File)
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