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Updated December 21st, 2021 at 13:16 IST

Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Jury begins deliberations after closing arguments

In Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial, the jury began deliberations to determine if she is a dangerous predator or an “innocent woman” following closing arguments.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
Jeffrey Epstein
Image: AP | Image:self
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In former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial, the jury on Monday began deliberations to determine if she is a dangerous predator, as the prosecutors said or is an “innocent woman” that defence attorney described. As per AP, the jury received the case just before 5 PM (local time) after two prosecutors and a defence lawyer delivered their closing arguments over a period of six hours. It is also reported that all three of them deliberated less than an hour and then went home after being told to return at 9 PM on Tuesday (local time).

While Maxwell is accused of grooming young girls to be sexually abused by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as per the report, the ex-socialite was composed during the entire trial. She even interacted with her lawyers and family members for the first three weeks of the proceedings. However, as per the report, Maxwell did appear emotional as she shook her head slightly and then drooped her eyes when US Attorney Maurene Comey said, “In her eyes, they were just trash”. Maxwell, 59, appeared to wipe her eyes twice as Comey dismissed the defence and attacked the latter’s portrayal of Epstein’s long time lover and business associate. 

What happened in the closing arguments?

As per the NPR report, Assistant US Attorney Alison Moe said that disgraced financier Epstein could not have preyed on the teen girls for more than a decade without Maxwell’s help. Moe even described the British socialite as the “lady of the house” as Epstein abused dozens of girls at his different properties including a New York mansion, an estate in Florida and a New Mexico ranch. 

In the closing arguments of Maxwell’s trial, Moe told the jurors that, “Ghislaine Maxwell was dangerous” and added that Epstein’s former lover accepted more than $30 million from the financier over the course of many years. Assistant US Attorney said, “Maxwell and Epstein committed horrifying crimes”. 

Meanwhile, Defence lawyer Laura Menninger said that the prosecutors had failed to prove any charges beyond a reasonable doubt, as per the NPR report. Menninger described her client as an “innocent woman, wrongfully accused of crimes she did not commit”. 

But, Menninger’s portrayal of Maxwell was in stark contrast with Moe’s depiction who labelled the UK socialite as a “sophisticated predator who knew exactly what she was doing. She ran the same playbook again and again and again.” Assistant US attorney also said, “She manipulated her victims and groomed them. She caused deep and lasting harm to young girls. It is time to hold her accountable.”

It is to note that the summations came at the start of the fourth week of the trial that was originally projected to last for at least six weeks. As per reports, amid the COVID-19 outbreak in New York escalating each day and a holiday weekend around the corner, US Judge Alison J. Nathan called on the lawyers to keep their closings precise. This would allow the jury to begin deliberations of the high-profile case as early as Monday. 

Image: AP

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Published December 21st, 2021 at 13:16 IST

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