A federal judge has dismissed Ghislaine Maxwell’s attempt to overturn her conviction, criticizing her petition as “lengthy and rambling” and labeling her claims as “meritless” and “frivolous.” U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, in a decision made public Tuesday, noted the overwhelming evidence against Maxwell during her trial.
Maxwell had sought to challenge her conviction and 20-year prison sentence, arguing that her constitutional rights were violated during her trial and sentencing. Representing herself, Maxwell’s arguments were largely deemed procedurally barred because they had either been raised and rejected on direct appeal or were not presented when they should have been.
In this courtroom sketch, Ghislaine Maxwell, left, confers with lead defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim during Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial, Nov. 30, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams)
The judge dismissed Maxwell’s reliance on material from the Epstein Files Transparency Act. He found that the supposed new evidence was largely irrelevant to her case. The court stated that the evidence, rather than exculpating Maxwell, served to incriminate her further or validate the legal decisions in her case.
Maxwell’s conviction in December 2021 was based on five felony charges linked to her involvement with Jeffrey Epstein in sexually abusing young girls over a decade.
Eric Mack is a breaking news reporter and covers stories on politics, elections, foreign affairs, and government from Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET.