As jurors in Ghislaine Maxwell’s federal sex trafficking trial enter their fourth full day of deliberations, Nancy Grace says some of their requests could hint at what their verdict may be.
Jurors also asked the court for the definition of enticement, which is one of the charges Maxwell, 59, is charged with. Maxwell is accused of grooming at least four underage girls, as young as 14, for Jeffrey Epstein, 66, to sexually abuse between 1994 and 1997. She has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and other related charges in New York.
“Their defense is ‘she’s a scapegoat, he’s [Epstein] dead, so they’re going after her,'” Grace told Fox News on Monday. “Actually both things can be true: She can be a scapegoat and be guilty.
Grace, a former prosecutor, explained that it is a good sign for the state that the jury has asked for transcripts only from their witnesses.
“That suggests they’re leaning toward the state,” she said.
However, Grace also commented that the jury’s request for office supplies — including highlighters and sticky notes in different colors — could be worrying for the prosecution.
She told Fox, “Because they want to color code things…either they’re super organized or they’re having to make a flowchart to figure out the six counts.”
Maxwell has remained jailed since being arrested in July 2020. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe alleged Maxwell and Epstein shared a “little black book” which contained phone numbers of young girls available for massages. Maxwell’s accusers claimed she forced them to massage or have sex with Epstein, and that Maxwell would also grope them.
Maxwell did not take the stand in her own defense, but three accusers testified using pseudonyms — including one who said she was 14 when Maxwell groomed her to sexually pleasure Epstein and trafficked her to other men.
Conversely, the defense said the accusers misremembered their interactions with Maxwell, or were influenced by money.
Epstein was jailed without bond in July 2019 following allegations that he sex-trafficked dozens of underage girls from 2002 to 2005. The billionaire financier was found hanging in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan on August 10, 2019 — sparking skepticism about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Jurors continued deliberations on Tuesday.
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