#Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyers file appeal, say secret sex life files may prevent fair trial

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Ghislaine Maxwell
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Attorneys for Ghislaine Maxwell filed an appeal Thursday to block the release in civil court of depositions related to her sex life — arguing she’ll never be given a fair trial in her criminal case if they hit the press.

In the appeal filed in the Second Circuit Court, Maxwell’s attorneys in the civil case have argued the release of the depositions “would result in substantial negative media publicity and speculation in an Internet world,” which would infringe on her right to a fair trial.

The deposition material at the center of the legal battle relates to testimony Maxwell gave as part of a now-settled civil defamation lawsuit filed against her in 2015 by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.

The deposition includes statements Maxwell made about “consensual, and intimate conduct with other adults,” according to the court documents.

Federal prosecutors in a separate criminal case against Maxwell have charged her with perjury for allegedly lying under oath in the depositions. She’s also charged with acting as a sex trafficker for Epstein.

“This case began as a defamation action, though it is hardly recognizable as such anymore. The stakes are much higher now,” her attorneys wrote in the appeal Thursday.

“The government has indicted Ghislaine Maxwell. The media has all but convicted her,” they added.

Her attorneys continued that although the public has a right to access the material, it is greatly outweighed by Maxwell’s right to a fair trial.

“Unless this Court stays the unsealing of the deposition material, there will be nothing to protect against uncritical reporting of the deposition material’s contents, reporting that will only undermine the ability to secure a fair trial for Ms. Maxwell,” the appeal states.

Judge Loretta Preska ordered the documents unsealed in a court hearing last week, but gave Maxwell’s legal team a week to file an appeal with the Second Circuit Court.

Barring an order by the circuit court, Preska ordered the material to be unsealed Monday.