Ghislaine Maxwell In Isolation, Seeking Release From Prison Over COVID Concerns
Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyers are arguing for her to be released from prison on bail, citing concerns about the coronavirus.
Maxwell was already placed in isolation as a precaution, and will be making her next court appearance through a video link for the sake of social distancing, according to The Sun.
“As this court has noted, the Covid-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented health risk to incarcerated individuals, and Covid-19-related restrictions on attorney communications with pre-trial detainees significantly impair a defendant’s ability to prepare her defense. Simply put, under these circumstances, if Ms Maxwell continues to be detained, her health will be at serious risk and she will not be able to receive a fair trial,” Maxwell’s lawyers said in their bail argument, according to the Guardian.
“Ms Maxwell will be at significant risk of contracting Covid-19 if she is detained, and she will not be able to meaningfully participate in the preparation of her defense due to the restrictions that have been placed on attorney visits and phone calls in light of the pandemic,” they added.
Maxwell’s attorneys claim that she is not a flight risk and that she has been in contact with investigators all along.
They claim that she reached out to federal prosecutors shortly after Epstein’s arrest and has kept in constant contact ever since, informing them about where she was staying.
This story is very different than the one told by law enforcement officials, who say that Maxwell was on the run since Epstein’s arrest.
“She has never once attempted to ‘hide; from the government or her accusers, and has never shown any intent to leave the country,” the lawyers said.
They proposed putting Maxwell on house arrest at a location in New York City with GPS monitoring.
Maxwell continues to maintain her innocence, and her lawyers claim that she has been the victim of media bias, which has resulted in numerous death threats.
“Ever since Epstein’s arrest, Ms Maxwell has been at the center of a crushing onslaught of press articles, television specials and social media posts painting her in the most damning light possible and prejudging her guilt. The sheer volume of media reporting mentioning Ms Maxwell is staggering,” her lawyers argued.
“The ‘open season’ declared on Ms Maxwell after Epstein’s death has come with an even darker cost – she has been the target of alarming physical threats, even death threats, and has had to hire security guards to ensure her safety. The media feeding frenzy, which has only intensified in recent months, has also deeply affected her family and friends,” they claimed, adding that, “sometimes the simplest point is the most critical one: Ghislaine Maxwell is not Jeffrey Epstein.”
Still, there is significant evidence of Maxwell being extensively involved in Epstein’s life. According to multiple witnesses, she was also heavily involved in his child trafficking network as well.
In fact, it sources close to her have said that she has a pile of evidence against very influential and powerful people that she intents to use as a bargaining tool in the case against her.
Her lawyers have indicated that she intends to fully cooperate with prosecutors.