Ghislaine Maxwell guilty verdict could turn into a mistrial.
Maxwell who was found guilty of child sex trafficking last week could receive a new trial after a juror in a public interview stated that he was a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.
The juror who identified as Scotty David told Reuters that he convinced other jurors to find Maxwell guilty after he shared his child sex abuse story.
Well now Maxwell’s lawyers are asking Judge Alison Nathan for a new trial due to the fact during voir dire Scotty David allegedly wrote on his juror interview form that he wasn’t sexually abused at any point of his life.
Was this juror paid off to run his mouth after the trial?
or
Is he really that foolish?
Ghislaine Maxwell possible mistrial a 'punch in the gut' to victims: Lisa Bloom https://t.co/nupRXvqVfR pic.twitter.com/I0Guqx5eBu
— New York Post (@nypost) January 6, 2022
How is it possible that one of the Ghislaine Maxwell jurors has a history of sexual abuse. Mistrial coming. It was all planned.
— Sean Thornton (@SeanTho98192182) January 6, 2022
The New York Post had more on the story:
Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking conviction was thrown into chaos Wednesday after a juror revealed in press interviews that he is a childhood sex abuse survivor — prompting prosecutors to request a probe into the jury and Maxwell’s attorneys to call for a new trial.
The two sides made their requests in a series of letters filed to Judge Alison Nathan on Wednesday after the juror told Reuters that sharing his sexual-abuse experience with other panelists helped convince them to convict the disgraced British socialite.
Jurors who served on the panel filled out questionnaires at the start of jury selection, which included a question about whether they or members of their family had been victims of sexual abuse.
The juror who spoke to Reuters, identified by his first and middle names, Scotty David, said he “flew through” the questionnaire, but was sure that he answered the question truthfully.
But the defense is arguing that David’s confession warrants a new trial.
“The Court can and should order a new trial,” Maxwell’s attorneys wrote to Nathan in a letter.
🚨 Ghislaine Maxwell Mistrial? 🚨
The Court has set a briefing schedule for the parties regarding a potential mistrial caused by statements made by a juror in press interviews after the trial.
Defense Motion: 1-12
Gov't Response: 2-2
Defense Reply 2-9 pic.twitter.com/d0q38SsvZ3— Emily D. Baker ⚖️ đź’ś (@TheEmilyDBaker) January 6, 2022
BBC got the scoop too:
Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell say she deserves a new trial after a juror told media that he used his own experience of being sexually abused to persuade other jurors who doubted witnesses.
Prosecutors also asked the judge to open an inquiry into the statements.
Maxwell was found guilty last week of grooming underage girls to be abused by Jeffrey Epstein.
The juror said he told fellow jurors that, like some of Epstein’s victims, he had been abused as a child.
The man, who asked to be identified by his first and middle name, Scotty David, told reporters that he shared his experiences with jurors after some had questioned the recollections from two of Maxwell’s accusers.
“I know what happened when I was sexually abused. I remember the colour of the carpet, the walls. Some of it can be replayed like a video,” he said he told the jury, according to The Independent. “But I can’t remember all the details, there are some things that run together.”
“When I shared that, they were able to sort of come around on, they were able to come around on the memory aspect of the sexual abuse,” Scotty David said, referring to other jurors, according to the Reuters news agency.
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