Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers file legal papers requesting retrial
20 January 2022, 06:16 | Updated: 20 January 2022, 07:27
Lawyers for British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell have filed documents requesting a retrial after she was found guilty of sex trafficking.
Maxwell was convicted last month of sex trafficking for billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.
Following the Maxwell trial verdict, a juror told the media he raised his own experiences of abuse during deliberations.
A new trial is not guaranteed even though the juror did not disclose his abuse during screening before the case started.
Maxwell’s lawyers filed a "motion for a New Trial … and accompanying exhibits under seal" meaning the contents of the documents are not known.
Her lawyer Bobbi C Sternheim wrote: "Today, counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell filed her motion for a new trial."
The lawyer added: "We request that all submissions pertaining to juror no. 50 remain under seal until the court rules on the motion."
Maxwell, was convicted on 29 December of five counts for facilitating the late financier Epstein’s sexual abuse of girls as young as 14.
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After the trial, a juror said in an interview that he had been a victim of childhood sexual abuse.
He went on to say that he told fellow jurors about his experience and that it helped other panelists understand things from a victim’s point of view.
Maxwell’s legal team said the juror’s comments necessitated a retrial. Her sentencing hearing is due to take place on June 28.