Ghislaine Maxwell: juror calls false answer on questionnaire “biggest mistake”

A Ghislaine Maxwell juror who did not disclose he had been sexually abused on a pretrial questionnaire mentioned throughout a listening to Tuesday that he deeply regretted the error and known as it inadvertent.

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“It is one of many largest errors I’ve ever made in my life,” he mentioned, seated within the courtroom witness field, in response to questioning by U.S. District Decide Alison Nathan in Manhattan federal courtroom. The juror was accompanied by his legal professional Todd Spodek.

The error may put the British socialite’s intercourse trafficking conviction in jeopardy. Her attorneys have requested a choose to throw out the decision, arguing they might have objected to his presence on the jury had they identified of his historical past.

The choose fired off dozens of inquiries to Juror No. 50 over his false reply on the questionnaire that had immediately requested him whether or not he had been a sufferer of sexual abuse.  

He mentioned he had “skimmed means too quick” by the screening kind that every one potential jurors must fill out.

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein in an undated proof photograph.

The choose requested whether or not he was deliberately inaccurate. “Completely not,” he responded, including that if he may, he’d take again the error in a “heartbeat.”

The juror defined that he had been sexually abused on the age of 9 and 10 by two individuals however hadn’t reported it to his mother till he was in highschool.

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Maxwell, 60, carrying a blue jail jumpsuit, scribbled notes within the courtroom in the course of the listening to that lasted about an hour and  a half. 

Query No. 48 on the prolonged prescreening kind he stuffed out in November had requested: “Have you ever or a good friend or member of the family ever been the sufferer of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or sexual assault? (This contains precise or tried sexual assault or different undesirable sexual advance, together with by a stranger, acquaintance, supervisor, instructor, or member of the family.)”

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2005.
(Photograph by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan through Getty Photographs      )

Juror No. 50 checked a field indicating “No.”

Earlier than testifying, the choose granted the juror immunity on the request of prosecutors after Spodek mentioned his shopper would invoke his Fifth Modification privilege towards self-incrimination with out the safety. 

Maxwell was convicted in December of intercourse trafficking and different expenses for recruiting younger ladies to be sexually abused by late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 whereas awaiting trial on intercourse crimes expenses.

After Maxwell was discovered responsible, the juror advised reporters in interviews that he had shared his expertise with the panel throughout deliberations. He described having swayed some jurors who had been on the fence that an imperfect recollection of the abuse didn’t imply it did not occur. 

Nathan is anticipated to rule on the movement for a brand new trial after either side file written arguments. Maxwell is at present scheduled to be sentenced in June.

The Related Press contributed to this report