A US judge on Friday upheld Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking conviction, despite a juror's acknowledgment that he had falsely stated before the trial he had not been sexually abused.
In her decision, US Circuit Judge Alison Nathan said the juror, referred to as Juror 50 in court papers, testified truthfully at a hearing last month over Maxwell's request for a new trial.
Prosecutors contended that Maxwell could not show the juror was biased, after he said during jury selection he would be fair and impartial and decide the case based on the evidence.
"His failure to disclose his prior sexual abuse during the jury selection process was highly unfortunate, but not deliberate," Ms Nathan wrote. "The Court further concludes that Juror 50 harboured no bias toward the defendant and could serve as a fair and impartial juror."
Maxwell had been convicted in December of helping the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.
The British socialite requested a new trial in January after one of her 12 jurors said in media interviews he had been sexually abused as a child.
Asked in a pretrial screening questionnaire whether he had been a victim of sexual abuse, the juror checked "no".
Maxwell's lawyers would have struck the juror from the panel if he had answered honestly, and said his false statement denied Maxwell her right to a fair trial.
At a March 8 hearing, the juror testified that he answered the question incorrectly because he was “super distracted” at the time. But he denied lying deliberately to try to get on the jury and said that, despite his past abuse, he wasn’t biased against Maxwell during the trial.
“He appeared to testify frankly and honestly, even when the answers he gave were the cause of personal embarrassment and regret,” the judge said. “The Court thus credits his testimony that he was distracted as he filled out the questionnaire and skimmed way too fast, leading him to misunderstand some of the questions.”
Maxwell's lawyers have vowed to appeal the guilty verdict.
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An artist's sketch of Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, listening as the guilty verdict for trafficking a minor is read in a New York City court. She was found guilty on five of six charges. Reuters -
Kevin Maxwell, Isabel Maxwell and Christine Maxwell, siblings of Ghislaine Maxwell, outside the New York City court where Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, was found guilty of trafficking minors. Reuters -
Defence lawyers Laura A Menninger and Jeffrey Pagliuca leave court in New York City after the guilty verdicts in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein. Reuters -
Kevin Maxwell, brother to Ghislaine Maxwell, leaves the New York City court where Ghislaine, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, was convicted on five of six charges including trafficking a minor and transporting a minor for criminal sexual activity. Reuters -
News media outside the US Federal District Court House in New York City after Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty on five of the six charges she faced. EPA -
A New York courtroom artist's sketch shows United States District Judge Alison Nathan reading guilty verdicts against Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein. AP -
Defence lawyer Bobbi Sternheim leaves the New York City court where a jury found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of recruiting and grooming young girls to be sexually abused by her (Maxwell's) former boyfriend, US financier Jeffrey Epstein. AFP -
Defence lawyer Bobbi Sternheim leaves the New York City court where a jury found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of recruiting and grooming young girls. AFP -
A courtroom sketch shows Ghislaine Maxwell, left, listening with her lawyer Jeffrey Pagliuca as a jury returns a guilty verdict in her sex trafficking trial in New York. AP
Agencies contributed to this report
