A federal judge has denied Ghislaine Maxwell’s attempt to overturn her conviction. The judge described her petition as long and unorganized, calling her arguments “meritless” and mostly trivial.
U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer dismissed Maxwell’s challenge earlier this week. His decision was based on the strong evidence presented against Maxwell, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, during her trial.
Maxwell, representing herself, sought to have her conviction and 20-year sentence vacated. She claimed her constitutional rights were violated during the trial and sentencing process.
Judge Engelmayer noted that most of Maxwell’s arguments were not valid procedurally. She either had previously raised and lost these arguments on direct appeal or had failed to present them when she had the chance.
Maxwell also cited material under the Epstein Files Transparency Act as new evidence. However, the judge found this material irrelevant to her case. He stated that instead of exonerating her, it further implicated her, supporting previous legal decisions in her case.
The court has rejected Maxwell’s petition as a result.
In December 2021, Maxwell was convicted of five felony charges related to her involvement with Epstein in abusing young girls for over ten years.