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Supreme Court Denies Ghislaine Maxwell's Appeal, Upholding Sex-Trafficking Conviction
• Politics, Crime, Ghislaine Maxwell, US Supreme Court, sex-trafficking, Jeffrey Epstein, appeal, 20-year sentence, legal avenues, underage girls, presidential pardon, Donald Trump, Justice Department, investigative files, metaworld.media, Supreme Court Denies Ghislaine Maxwell's Appeal, Upholding Sex-Trafficking Conviction
The US Supreme Court has declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal of her sex-trafficking conviction, ensuring her 20-year sentence remains intact. The case continues to attract national attention amidst ongoing investigations into Jeffrey Epstein's network.
The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell against her sex-trafficking conviction.
Without providing an explanation, the court declined to hear the former British socialite's appeal, which means her 20-year sentence will remain in place barring a presidential pardon.
Her lawyer, David Oscar Markus, told the BBC that her team was deeply disappointed but would continue exploring legal avenues to ensure that justice is done.
Maxwell was convicted for her role in luring underage girls for her former boyfriend, the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, to exploit. Epstein died in prison in 2019.
Family members of late Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre told the BBC that they were grateful for the court's denial and committed to ensuring she served her full sentence.
The US Justice Department did not immediately comment.
Maxwell was recently interviewed by federal agents in the US as part of an inquiry into Epstein's sex-trafficking scheme and whether others might have been involved.
She was found guilty in 2021 of facilitating Epstein's abuse. Prosecutors said she recruited and groomed girls, some as young as 14, between 1994 and 2004, before they were abused by Epstein.
Maxwell's lawyers appealed against the verdict, arguing she should never have been tried or convicted for her role in the scheme.
Speculation has been rife that US President Donald Trump could pardon Maxwell. The White House has previously said no leniency is being given or discussed - a sentiment it reiterated on Monday.
When asked whether he'd consider pardoning Maxwell, Trump said he wouldn't consider it or not consider it, adding: I don't know anything about it, so I will speak to the [Department of Justice].
The investigative files surrounding Epstein's case, including grand jury testimony, have become a political flashpoint.
Maxwell was moved to a minimum-security prison facility in Texas after her interview with Justice Department officials in July. The family members of Giuffre expressed their hope that the DOJ will recognize that she belongs in a maximum security prison.