Ghislaine Maxwell asked a federal appeals court on Tuesday to overturn her conviction and 20-year prison sentence for recruiting and grooming the underage girls whom Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused. She claimed that a deal that federal prosecutors in Florida struck with Epstein in 2007 shielded her from prosecution.
Diana Fabi Samson, the defense lawyer, told a panel of three judges from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, “The plea agreement applies to stop this prosecution.” “Denying the viability of this plea agreement strikes a dagger in the heart of the trust between the government and its citizens regarding plea agreements.”
Maxwell made the same point in court and asked for a hearing to find out what the Florida attorneys were trying to do. The judge rejected that, stating that the deal did not bind prosecutors in New York.
During the proceedings on Tuesday, the prosecutor restated the stance that the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan was not obligated to abide by the previous agreement with Epstein. Furthermore, the prosecutor emphasized that even if the agreement did apply, it would not extend to Maxwell.
According to assistant U.S. attorney Andrew Rohrbach, the main commitment outlined in the non-prosecution agreement revolves around the Southern District of Florida’s promise not to prosecute Epstein within their jurisdiction. He clarifies that this document is specifically designed to bind the Southern District of Florida and does not extend to any other district.
Maxwell’s attorneys contend in their written appeal that she was unfairly made a “proxy” for Epstein, who took his own life in prison before standing trial, as a means to appease public anger over his actions. They further argue that Maxwell was deprived of a fair trial, citing the failure of one juror to disclose their own history of sexual abuse during the jury selection process.
During the oral arguments, neither of these points were brought up.
Maxwell is currently serving time in a low-security prison located in Tallahassee and is expected to be eligible for release in 2037.
