Ghislaine Maxwell will spend Christmas – and her 60th birthday – in limbo and in prison after a jury failed to reach a verdict in her sex trafficking cases
The jury deliberated for their third day and sent one note requesting three transcripts, but did not come to a decision.
Maxwell appeared relaxed and was laughing with her lawyers and gave each a hug before being taken away to prison.
The court will break for the rest of the week and will come back on Monday.
Despite not being found guilty of any of the alleged crimes, Maxwell will spend Christmas Day – which is also her 60th birthday – behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center, what she’s described a ‘hell hole’ and where she’s been held since her arrest in July 2020.
Maxwell has maintained her innocence and her lawyers have bashed her accusers as having false memory and being motivated by money.
In legal filings earlier this year, Maxwell claimed her treatment in prison is so bad it would be ‘fit for Hannibal Lecter’.
But they are not appropriate for a ’59-year old woman who poses no threat to anyone’, Maxwell’s lawyers claimed.
At one point, Maxwell ‘barricade’ herself in the video conference room in prison with a cart of legal documents, prosecutors claimed and was deemed a ‘security threat’ by blocking the door and preventing guards from accessing the room.
Judge Alison Nathan told the jury to be ‘safe’ over the Christmas break due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
She said she wanted them back ‘healthy’ on Monday when everyone attending the court in New York will have to wear N95 or KN95 masks to enter the building.
Near the end of the day the jury asked for another copy of the transcript of the accuser Jane’s testimony.
They also asked for the testimony of Kate, another accuser, and Epstein’s former Palm Beach House manager Juan Alessi.
Given the option to deliberate on Thursday the jury said no because they had ‘made plans’, they said in a note.
The jury of six men and six women have now deliberated for 16 hours and 20 minutes.
Maxwell, 59, denies six counts of recruiting and transporting underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein.
On Tuesday – the second day of deliberation – the jurors appeared to be zeroing on two accusers.
They deliberated for the whole day Tuesday and sent four notes to the judge including one which related to Annie Farmer.
They wanted to know if they could use her testimony for two counts of conspiracy to entice and transport an underage girl to engage in sex acts.
Judge Nathan said she would tell them that they could.
Earlier the jury asked to see notes of an FBI interview that Carolyn gave in 2007, the first time she spoke to law enforcement about being abused by Epstein.
Judge Nathan said that it had not been entered into evidence so they could not see it.
However the jury could refer to its mention in Carolyn’s cross examination by the defense.
At 10.10am after just over an hour of deliberating on Tuesday the jury sent their first note.
Judge Alison Nathan said the jury were asking for the transcripts of testimony from Jane, Annie and Carolyn – but did not mention Kate.
Kate is the only accuser whose claims should not be considered crimes as charged in the indictment.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey said that both sides needed to agree to some redactions before giving the transcripts over.
Defense lawyer Bobbi Sternheim agreed.
The jury were not brought out and Judge Nathan said she would give them the transcripts in the deliberation room
Maxwell walked into court wearing a black turtleneck sweat and black pants while holding a green folder.
She hugged her lawyers and waved at a young woman in the public gallery.
Maxwell’s defense delivered closing arguments Monday afternoon, telling the jury that she is ‘an innocent woman wrongfully accused of crimes she did not commit.’
In her closing remarks, Maxwell’s lawyer Laura Menninger said: ‘The government has failed to prove any charge beyond a reasonable doubt and the only correct verdict in this case is not guilty on each count.’
