Ghislaine Maxwell Trial Set for July 12 After Judge Denies Defense Motion

By Nick Koutsobinas(NEWSMAX)   Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of late financier Jeffrey Epstein, is set to stand trial on July 12 after U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan on Friday denied her request to dismiss the case or at least delay it.

Maxwell asserted that media attention and the protracted length of the investigation of her case was sufficient cause to toss out the charges. Nathan denied both claims.

“The Court will not dismiss the indictment on Maxwell’s bare assertion that numerous witnesses are engaged in a perjurious conspiracy against her…And the Court will take all appropriate steps to ensure that the pretrial publicity in this case does not compromise Maxwell’s right to a fair and impartial jury,” Nathan said, according to the Associated Press.

Nathan also dismissed arguments that charges should be dropped “because of the possibility of missing witnesses, failing memories, or lost records.”

Maxwell’s attorney had said the trial date for July 12 should be moved to mid-January due to the complications investigating the claims because of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The lawyers had asked to delay the trial due to the presentation of new evidence — 2,100 “highly confidential” pictures, according to the Daily Mail.

“We have tried to use an FBI-supplied laptop and hard drive to review approximately 2,100 ‘Highly Confidential’ photographs that were not produced to us in discovery,” they defense attorneys said, “Because of technical issues with the laptop, we still have not completed the review.”

Maxwell’s attorneys said they received tens of thousands of documents from 226 witnesses.

“We cannot adequately prepare for a trial containing the new charges and a substantially expanded conspiracy in the less than three months remaining,” Maxwell’s attorneys said.

Also, this week Maxwell’s family has created a website with updates on her case. The website has a video of her brother extending his feelings about Maxwell’s current circumstances.

Maxwell was arrested on July 2 and charged with enticement of minors, sex trafficking of children, and allegedly helping procure underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein.