Dec. 16 (UPI) — After a three-day break, the New York City jury hearing the sexual misconduct trial involving Ghislaine Maxwell will get to hear her side of the story on Thursday, as defense attorneys begin presenting their case.
Defense attorneys are expected to attempt to portray the victims of billionaire financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as being motivated more by money than justice.
Maxwell, a wealthy British socialite and a former girlfriend of Epstein’s, is accused of grooming underage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. The accusations also say that she participated in some of the abuse.
Epstein committed suicide in a New York City jail in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on new sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell’s attorneys had asked permission from the trial judge to call attorneys for three accusers as witnesses, to answer questions about a financial payout they received from Epstein’s estate. Judge Alison Nathan rejected that request on Thursday.
The attorneys were among some 35 witnesses that the defense planned to call to the witness stand. Maxwell, 59, is not expected to testify in her own defense.
The defense has also asked the judge to allow several witnesses to appear in court under pseudonyms, citing a need to divert negative attention.
“We all know that this case has gotten a lot of attention and that people who are testifying here might get a lot of unwanted attention, especially if they are testifying on behalf of Ms. Maxwell,” attorney Christian Everdell told the judge last Friday, according to The Miami Herald.
