Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers mute on sealed Epstein deposition; state 'violation of rights'

Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer appeared virtually before the New York federal appeals court on Tuesday afternoon, in an attempt to keep secret her deposition/documents from past civil trial regarding his client’s relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Maxwell, a British socialite and former girlfriend of late Jeffrey Epstein, is urging the US court to overturn the decision of Manhattan federal court judge Loretta Preska to unseal the 418-page statement. The documents consist of Maxwell’s sworn testimony in a settled civil lawsuit in connection with the claims about her alleged involvement in the late Epstein’s sex trafficking. While nearly all the documents were unsealed, Maxwell had been delaying her recorded statement.

In the civil case, Epstein’s accuser Virginia Giuffre alleged that Ghislaine Maxwell introduced her to Jeffrey Epstein as a teen, under the guise of providing work as a masseuse. Giuffre accused Maxwell and Epstein of forcing her to engage in sexual relations with wealthy and powerful men including Prince Andrew. In her 2015 civil action, Giuffre maintained that Maxwell defamed her in claiming she was a liar for alleging that they participated in sexual offences. The Duke of York has firmly denied the victim’s allegations.

READ | Ghislaine Maxwell, Ex-girlfriend Of Jeffrey Epstein, Arrested By FBI

'Violation of her rights'

Ghislaine Maxwell, who was arrested in July for alleged sex crimes, conspiracy and perjury relating to Jeffrey Epstein, contended in court that unsealing her deposition from the old civil case “will lead to a violation of her right to a fair trial by an impartial jury” in the ongoing criminal case. The 58-year-old has pleaded not guilty in her criminal case. Maxwell is being held without bail since July 2 after she was arrested from a secluded private property in New Hampshire. The charges she is facing would result in over 35 years of imprisonment. 

Maxwell’s lawyer argued that her sealed ‘confidential’ statements were being used by the accuser in her allegations, claiming that she lied under oath. Maxwell’s legal team said the unsealing order violates the promise of confidentiality on which Maxwell and numerous third parties reasonably relied. It sanctions the perjury trap unfairly set for Maxwell, in violation of the fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination.”

READ | Jeffrey Epstein Told Ex-girlfriend Maxwell She Did 'nothing Wrong'

Lawyer escapes question on underage sex 

On Tuesday, Judge José Cabranes questioned Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer, Adam Mueller, on this topic. Maxwell’s argument against unsealing on privacy grounds was also raised. Cabranes asked whether Maxwell had refused to answer questions about consensual sexual activities between adults, to which Mueller said that some of the questions, we declined to answer, but there were questions and answers given.

The Judge further asked whether the client denied the knowledge of any activity involving underage minors. Mueller responded saying that he was hesitant to answer the question as the deposition remain sealed. The three-judge panel will issue a decision on the matter of unsealing the deposition or statement at a later date.

READ | Prosecutors Seek Secrecy As Jeffrey Epstein Probe Continues

The matter of the releasing Maxwell’s documents was raised after a newspaper named Miami Herald submitted a petition seeking to unseal them. Before the request, several documents in this litigation were under seal. The Miami Herald reporter Julie K Brown revealed how Epstein managed to escape federal prosecution in south Florida in 2007.

On the same day, the judges also heard another appeal related to Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case. She did not participate in Tuesday’s hearing. Her lawyer wants to modify a protective order relating to some certain materials in Maxwell’s criminal case, but the judges did not agree with Mueller’s request to modify the protective order. The advocate hopes to use this confidential information to convince Preska not to release the statements.

Decisions about both issues at the hearing, the deposition and the protective order, will be issued by the judges at a later date.

READ | Ghislaine Maxwell Seeks Review After US Judge Rejects Request On Unsealing Documents

(Image credits: AP)