A federal judge has denied Ghislaine Maxwell’s effort to overturn her conviction. In a decision described as ‘lengthy and rambling,’ U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer classified Maxwell’s claims as ‘meritless’ and mostly frivolous. The judge’s opinion, issued in the Southern District of New York, highlighted the strong evidence against Maxwell during her trial.
Maxwell, convicted as an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, sought to annul her conviction and her 20-year sentence, arguing that her constitutional rights were violated during her trial and sentencing. Representing herself, Maxwell’s petition was dismissed with Judge Engelmayer noting that most of her arguments were procedurally barred. She had either lost similar arguments on direct appeal or failed to raise them earlier.
The judge further dismissed Maxwell’s attempt to use material from the Epstein Files Transparency Act as new evidence. The court found this evidence largely irrelevant to her case. Engelmayer stated that this ‘new’ evidence neither exculpated Maxwell nor supported her legal challenges.
Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 on five felony counts related to her role with Epstein in the sexual abuse of young girls over a decade. The judge concluded by denying her petition.
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