Judge Denies Ghislaine Maxwell’s Bid to Overturn Conviction

A federal judge has rejected Ghislaine Maxwell’s latest attempt to overturn her conviction. The judge labeled her petition as “lengthy and rambling” and found her claims “all meritless” and mostly “frivolous.”

U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer made his decision in an opinion filed in the Southern District of New York. It was made public on Tuesday. The judge cited the “overwhelming” evidence against the former associate of Jeffrey Epstein as the basis for his ruling.

Maxwell, who represented herself, tried to vacate her conviction and 20-year prison sentence. She alleged that her constitutional rights were violated during her trial and sentencing.

Judge Engelmayer stated that most of her legal arguments were procedurally barred. This was because she had either already raised and lost them on direct appeal or could have raised them earlier but chose not to. He dismissed her reliance on new material released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The judge found that the supposed new evidence did not support her claims and was largely irrelevant to her case.

He stated, “To the extent it is relevant, far from exculpating her, it incriminates her or reinforces the correctness of the legal rulings Maxwell challenges.” His decision resulted in the denial of Maxwell’s petition.

Maxwell was convicted in December 2021. She faced five felony counts for her role in the sexual abuse of young girls, which occurred over a decade, alongside Epstein.