The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear Ghislaine Maxwell's bid to overturn her conviction for helping the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.
The justices turned away an appeal by Maxwell, a British socialite and Epstein's former girlfriend who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty in 2021 by a jury in New York on charges including sex trafficking of a minor.
By doing so, the justices let stand a lower court's decision upholding Maxwell's conviction. The justices did not explain their reasoning in turning away Maxwell's appeal.
Maxwell's lawyers contend that her conviction was invalid because a non-prosecution and plea agreement that federal prosecutors made with Epstein in Florida in 2007 also shielded his associates and should have barred her criminal prosecution in New York.
"We're, of course, deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell's case. But this fight isn't over.
Serious legal and factual issues remain, and we will continue to pursue every avenue available to ensure that justice is done," David Oscar Markus, a lawyer for Maxwell, said.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Maxwell was arrested in 2020 and convicted the following year after being accused by federal prosecutors of recruiting and grooming girls for sexual encounters with Epstein between 1994 and 2004.
The Republican president and his administration have been trying to tamp down a political furor that erupted after the Justice Department's decision not to release files from its investigation of Epstein - despite earlier pledges to do so - infuriated some of Trump's most loyal followers.
Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The Epstein case has long been the subject of conspiracy theories, considering his rich and powerful friends and the circumstances of his death.
Trump was friendly with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, and their interactions have faced renewed scrutiny this year.
Maxwell's appeal focuses on the deal Epstein struck in 2007 to avoid federal prosecution in part by pleading guilty to state criminal offenses in Florida of soliciting prostitution and soliciting minors to engage in prostitution.
Epstein then served 13 months in a minimum-security state facility.
That agreement stated that "the United States also agrees that it will not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein."
Maxwell's lawyers said that in its reference to co-conspirators, the agreement placed no geographic limit on where the non-prosecution commitment could be enforced.
Maxwell failed to convince a trial judge and the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to throw out her conviction.
In 2019, during Trump's first term as president, the Justice Department brought federal criminal charges against Epstein in Manhattan accusing him of sex trafficking of minors. Epstein pleaded not guilty, but died at age 66 before going on trial.
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll of more than 1,000 U.S. adults released in July, 69% of respondents said they thought the federal government was hiding details about Epstein's clients, compared to 6% who disagreed and 25% who said they were not sure.
In July, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former personal lawyer to Trump, met with Maxwell as Trump sought to quell criticism from his conservative base of supporters and congressional Democrats about his administration's handling of the matter.
Maxwell told Blanche that she was not aware of any "client list" belonging to Epstein and never saw Trump behave inappropriately, according to a transcript of the interview.
A week after the interview, Maxwell was moved from a low-security prison facility in Florida to a less-restrictive prison camp in Texas.
The Justice Department concluded in July that after reviewing more than 300 gigabytes of data, there was "no incriminating client list" nor was there any evidence that Epstein may have blackmailed prominent people.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in congressional testimony on September 16 that there was no credible information that Epstein trafficked women and underage girls to anyone but himself.
Democrats on a House of Representatives panel on September 8 made public a 2003 birthday letter Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein, though the White House denied its authenticity.
The birthday letter contains text of a purported dialogue between Trump and Epstein in which Trump called him a "pal" and said, "May every day be another wonderful secret." The text sits within a crude sketch of the silhouette of a naked woman.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran...
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine....
China's legal profession is undergoing a significant shift as artificial intelligence increasingly takes over the routine work that has traditionally ...
The Kremlin has said it will pursue all available legal avenues if Britain proceeds with plans to sell Russian crude oil seized from a tanker earlier ...
At least 164 people have been killed and 971 injured after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said. The quakes c...
The Kremlin has said it will pursue all available legal avenues if Britain proceeds with plans to sell Russian crude oil seized from a tanker earlier this month.
Brazil and Mexico secured statement wins at the FIFA World Cup 2026 as Vinícius Jr starred in Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Scotland, while Mexico beat Czechia to finish top of Group A. South Africa also made history by reaching the knockouts for the first time.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Villagers took part in Dragon Boat Festival celebrations on 24 June in Foshan, Guangdong province, where traditional racing was held on the narrow, winding Diejiao River.
Russia has called for clarification on whether U.S. President Donald Trump has changed his position on the war in Ukraine following remarks made at the recent G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States.
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
China's legal profession is undergoing a significant shift as artificial intelligence increasingly takes over the routine work that has traditionally launched the careers of junior lawyers.
The Kremlin has said it will pursue all available legal avenues if Britain proceeds with plans to sell Russian crude oil seized from a tanker earlier this month.
At least 164 people have been killed and 971 injured after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said. The quakes caused widespread destruction around Caracas, collapsing buildings and trapping residents, with fears the toll could rise significantly.
A worsening cholera outbreak and escalating violence are deepening Sudan's humanitarian crisis, with more than 700 suspected cholera cases and 105 deaths reported in West Kordofan since mid-May, according to health authorities.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment