Ghislaine Maxwell conviction in jeopardy over juror's admission
After a highly publicised trial that saw Ghislaine Maxwell convicted for sex-trafficking, the guilty verdict is now in jeopardy.
After the trial ended, a juror made comments to the media about how discussing their own experience with sexual abuse with the other jurors helped them reach a guilty verdict, and ultimately affected the jury's deliberations.
Both prosecutors and defense attorneys raised concerns over this revelation, as experts told Insider that it's possible Maxwell's conviction could be thrown out as a result of the juror's comments to the media.
It is also possible that the juror in question could face legal consequences such as perjury charges, if US District Judge Alison Nathan determines he was untruthful during the pre-trial procedure.
The voir dire is the procedure that happens before a trial commences to determine if each prospective juror is suitable to serve objectively.
The juror told Reuters that they "flew through" the pre-trial questionnaire and didn't recall being asked about any previous experience with sexual assault, as they said they would've answered the question honestly.
However, court records show that the questionnaire asked all prospective Maxwell jurors, "Have you or a friend or family member ever been the victim of sexual harassment, sexual abuse or sexual assault?"
Following this revelation, a second juror from the Maxwell trial came forward and said they also shared their experiences of sexual assault in the jury deliberations, and potentially swaying the guilty verdict.
In the hours after the news of the jurors' own experiences came to light, Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers have called for a retrial on her case.
Maxwell was found guilty on five out of six sex-trafficking and conspiracy counts, and is facing up to 65 years in jail.
Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in July 2020 after her involvement with disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein came to light.
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