Maxwell had called for a retrial after it emerged that one of the jurors had been sexually abused but had falsely stated before the trial that it had not taken place. Maxwell, 60, was convicted in December of aiding and abetting the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who sexually abused teenage girls. Asked at the preliminary examination if he had been sexually abused, the juror said “no”, but denied it in television interviews after the trial, admitting that he had been sexually abused as a child. The juror insisted that he did not lie to get on the panel The jury said in news interviews that he had talked about it during the jury discussions to show why the memories of Maxwell’s accusers may not have been perfect. He told Reuters that he did not remember being asked about his experiences with sexual abuse when he filled out the jury questionnaire, insisting he would answer honestly.
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During a hearing in March, he said he was in a hurry to complete the questionnaire and was wrong to say he was not a victim of sexual abuse. He also said that he did not deliberately lie to enter the panel. Image: The juror said in the questionnaire that he had not been sexually abused Maxwell’s lawyers would have beaten the jury if he had answered correctly and said the false statement had denied their client a fair trial. However, prosecutors said there was no evidence that the juror was biased. The juror testified “reliably and truly” In its ruling on Friday, U.S. Judge Alison Nathan said the jury – known as Juror 50 – testified “credibly and truthfully” at last month’s hearing on Maxwell’s request for a retrial. Judge Nathan wrote: “His failure to disclose his previous sexual abuse during the jury selection process was extremely unfortunate, but not intentional. “The court further concludes that juror 50 had no prejudice against the accused and could function as a fair and impartial juror.” Maxwell’s lawyers said they would appeal her conviction, but did not comment on Friday’s decision. Epstein, who counted politicians and business leaders among his friends, committed suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.
