Ghislaine Maxwell asks federal court to vacate her conviction, citing 'substantial new evidence'
If successful, the habeas petition could result in a new trial for Maxwell or a reduction in her sentence, however, she would need to prove that serious constitutional violations occurred during her trial or sentencing.
Former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell on Wednesday asked a federal court to vacate or correct her 20-year sex-trafficking conviction, citing "substantial new evidence," that surfaced after records from her sex-trafficking trial were released.
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer allowed the Justice Department to publicly release files from Maxwell's case earlier this month, after the DOJ asked last month to unseal grand jury transcripts, investigative material and exhibits from Maxwell's and Epstein’s cases.
Maxwell's request comes after she exhausted all direct appeals of her sex-trafficking conviction, but she filed the latest request as a habeas petition without her attorney's consent. She claimed that the new evidence showed she did not receive a fair trial.
"This newly available evidence -- derived from litigation against the Federal Bureau of Investigation, various financial institutions, and the Estate of Jeffrey Epstein, as well as from sworn depositions, released records, and other verified sources--shows that exculpatory information was withheld, false testimony presented, and material facts misrepresented to the jury and the Court," Maxwell wrote.
The former Epstein associate alleged that there were nine separate grounds to grant her request, including alleged proof of juror misconduct and government suppression of evidence.
If successful, the habeas petition could result in a new trial for Maxwell or a reduction in her sentence, however, she would need to prove that serious constitutional violations occurred during her trial or sentencing, according to ABC News.
"In the light of the full evidentiary record, no reasonable juror would have convicted her," Maxwell wrote. "Accordingly, she seeks vacatur of her conviction, an evidentiary hearing, and such other relief as this Court deems appropriate and justice requires."
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.