In the request, she states that new evidence has emerged which, according to her claims, indicates serious violations of constitutional rights during the trial.
The request was filed just two days before the planned release of a large amount of documents from the Epstein case, which is implemented on the basis of the transparency law signed this year by US President Donald Trump, writes Newsweek.
In a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of the detention, Maxwell claims her defense at her trial in 2021 was denied key information that could have led to an acquittal. He also alleges that jurors were presented with inaccurate testimony, which he claims resulted in a serious miscarriage of justice. According to her, the newly discovered materials come from related civil proceedings, government releases and previously unavailable documents, and that no reasonable juror would have returned a guilty verdict if that evidence had been presented at trial.
The US Department of Justice plans to release 18 categories of investigative material from the investigation into Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring, including search warrants, financial records, notes from conversations with victims and data from electronic devices. The release was ordered by the Epstein Transparency Act, which directs the Justice Department to make all relevant materials publicly available.
Let us recall that Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on charges of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, and a month later he was found dead in a prison cell, which the authorities characterized as suicide. Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in July 2020 and convicted in December 2021 of recruiting and pimping underage girls to Epstein.
Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, said his client did not object to the release of the documents, but warned that their public release could jeopardize the possibility of a fair retrial if the verdict is overturned. According to him, the documents contain unverified and unproven accusations that could prejudice the proceedings.
Federal Judge Paul A. Engelmayer has already granted the Justice Department’s request to release the material, noting that the documents do not identify anyone other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with minors. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton confirmed that his office will comply with the law and court orders, while the outcome of Maxwell’s motion to overturn the conviction is pending.
(Vijesti.ba)
