Ghislaine Maxwell filed a 50‑page habeas petition asking a federal court to vacate her 2021 sex‑trafficking conviction, citing a juror who later disclosed past sexual abuse, allegedly withheld exculpatory evidence, and the long delay between the alleged conduct and indictment. Her filing also renews arguments over Jeffrey Epstein's 2007 non‑prosecution agreement. The petition arrives days before the Justice Department is due to release a large set of Epstein‑related documents, which defense lawyers say could bolster Maxwell's claims.
Ghislaine Maxwell Asks Judge To Vacate 2021 Conviction Ahead Of Release Of Epstein Files
Ghislaine Maxwell on Wednesday asked a federal judge in Manhattan to vacate her 2021 conviction on sex‑trafficking charges, filing a 50‑page habeas petition just days before the Justice Department is set to release a large trove of documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
Signed and filed by Maxwell herself, the petition raises multiple grounds for relief. She cites a juror who later disclosed he was a victim of sexual abuse, alleges the prosecution failed to turn over potentially exculpatory evidence, and points to the lengthy gap between the conduct alleged in the indictment and the timing of the charges.
The filing also revives controversy over Epstein's 2007 non‑prosecution agreement (NPA) in Florida, under which federal prosecutors agreed not to pursue certain charges against Epstein or purported co‑conspirators. Maxwell and her lawyers argue the NPA should extend to her; Manhattan prosecutors have repeatedly rejected that claim. A panel of appellate judges previously ruled the 2007 NPA did not bar the Manhattan prosecution.
The petition contends newly discovered evidence demonstrates a miscarriage of justice. Maxwell wrote in the filing:
"The newly discovered evidence referenced above is such that when taken as a whole it constitutes a miscarriage of justice in that, the Petitioner did not receive a fair trial by independent jurors coming to Court with an open mind."
Most of Maxwell's other legal paths have closed: an appeals court upheld her conviction last year, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal in October. She is serving a 20‑year sentence at a minimum‑security federal correctional facility in Texas after being transferred from a low‑security facility in Florida over the summer; officials did not publicly explain the move.
Federal prosecutors maintain Maxwell conspired with Epstein to recruit and sexually abuse underage victims. Epstein was charged with sex trafficking in 2019 but died by suicide in federal custody while awaiting trial.
The timing of Maxwell's habeas petition coincides with a statutory deadline for the Justice Department to disclose nearly all records it holds on the Epstein investigations under a recent law passed by Congress and signed by President Trump. Maxwell's attorney told CBS News he would not seek to block the scheduled release, which outside lawyers and commentators say could renew scrutiny of plea deals, investigative decisions and documentary records from the Florida case and later probes.
The filing sets up another legal contest over whether the conviction should be vacated and may prompt further hearings as courts decide whether the alleged omissions, juror issues and the newly surfaced material warrant relief.
