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The federal judge in New York who is presiding over the legal proceedings against British millionaire Ghislaine Maxwell reduced her conspiracy charges from three to one, but maintained the main charge of sex trafficking of minors for which she was found guilty in a jury trial, and for which she will be sentenced on June 28.
Judge Alison Nathan reduced the “multiple” conspiracy charges because she was charged with the same offense, but did not grant her attorneys’ request to drop all of the charges she was found guilty of, including the main charge of transporting a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity, according to local media.
The judge’s decision was announced on Friday and now the British woman, who is in federal prison in Brooklyn County, will be sentenced on one count of conspiracy, one count of sex trafficking, and one count of transporting a minor for sexual activity.
Maxwell, 60, considered the right-hand man of the late Jeffrey Epstein, was found guilty of sex trafficking of minors on Dec. 29 at a jury trial in New York.
The British woman’s legal team had requested a mistrial after a juror explained to the media that during the trial deliberations she told the other jurors that she had been a victim of sexual abuse and described her recollection of those events.
Specifically, the British newspaper The Independent published statements by the juror, in which he described himself as a survivor of sexual abuse he suffered as a child and indicated that this fact had influenced the calibration of the victims’ testimonies and the verdict for Maxwell.
After the juror’s statement was made public, the British woman’s legal team unsuccessfully requested a mistrial.
Judge Nathan’s decision comes after her lawyers then filed a motion to withdraw her conviction on all charges.
