CLOSING arguments in the Jeffrey Epstein “Madam” case were made on Monday afternoon.
During the arguments, the prosecution labeled Ghislaine Maxwell a dangerous and sophisticated predator, while her defense tried to argue the British socialite is an “innocent woman.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe said Jeffrey Epstein could not have preyed on teenage girls for more than a decade without the help of the British socialite, who she described as the “lady of the house” as Epstein abused girls at a New York mansion, a Florida estate and a New Mexico ranch.
“Ghislaine Maxwell was dangerous,” Moe told jurors.
Defense lawyer Laura Menninger said prosecutors had failed to prove any charges beyond a reasonable doubt. She also called Maxwell “an innocent woman, wrongfully accused of crimes she did not commit.”
If convicted on all counts, Maxwell could face up to 80 years in prison. Maxwell denies all accusations.
Jurors are set to meet again on Tuesday, December 21 at 9am.
Read our Ghislaine Maxwell live blog for the very latest news and updates…
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‘Ghislaine Maxwell is not Epstein’
The defense made their closing argument on Monday, The Independent noted.
Maxwell’s attorney Laura Menninger began her closing for the defense by saying, “I am not here to defend Jeffrey Epstein. He is not my client.”
“The US presented evidence like a sensational tabloid. These were things that Epstein did, perhaps, his crimes.”
“But Ghislaine Maxwell is not Epstein.”
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MOMENT COPS RAIDED JEFFREY EPSTEIN’S PALM BEACH HOME
The disturbing moment cops raided Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach house of horrors was revealed ahead of the verdict on Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial.
Prosecutors released the hour-long footage of the search of the pedophile’s infamous $16.4 million mansion, showing officers sweeping through the property with their guns drawn.
The cops found creepy paintings of naked women hanging on the walls, as well as a black and white portrait of Maxwell holding what appeared to be a Yorkshire terrier dog inside a marble-walled room.
It also showed what appeared to be a photo of a topless Maxwell lounging.
Several women have alleged that Epstein sexually abused them inside the horror house under the guise of massages.
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Two dozen prosecution witnesses testified
Before closing arguments were made, 24 prosecution witnesses testified.
Four of those witnesses were women who alleged they were victims of abuse by Epstein with the help of Maxwell.
Prosecutor Alison Moe told the jury: “These women know what happened to their own bodies.
“Your common sense tells you that being molested is something you never forget, ever.”
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When did jury deliberations begin?
Jurors in Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial began deliberating on Monday afternoon — following approximately six hours of closing arguments.
The jury obtained the case just minutes before 5pm after two prosecutors and a defense lawyer made their closing arguments.
It comes after 12 days of testimony.
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‘It lures them into a trap.
Prosecutor Alison Moe told the jury: “A single middle-aged man who invites a teenage girl to visit his ranch, to come to his house, to fly to New York, is creepy.
“But when that man is accompanied by a posh, smiling, respectable, age-appropriate woman, that’s when everything starts to seem legitimate.
“And when that woman encourages those girls to massage that man, when she acts like it’s totally normal for the man to touch those girls.
“It lures them into a trap. It allows the man to silence the alarm bells.”
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What did prosecutor Alison Moe say?
On Monday, prosecutor Alison Moe said: “Maxwell and Epstein were a wealthy couple who used their privilege to prey on kids from struggling families,” prosecutor Alison Moe said Monday, according to CNN.
She continued: “The way that they selected these girls tells you that they were targeting vulnerable kids.
“It is not an accident that Jane and Kate and Annie and Carolyn all came from single-mother households.
“When you’re with someone for 11 years, you know what they like. Epstein liked underaged girls.
“He liked to touch underaged girls. Maxwell knew it. Make no mistake, Maxwell was crucial to the whole scheme. Epstein could not have done this alone.”
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What did prosecutor Alison Moe say?
On Monday, prosecutor Alison Moe said: “Maxwell and Epstein were a wealthy couple who used their privilege to prey on kids from struggling families,” prosecutor Alison Moe said Monday, according to CNN.
She continued: “The way that they selected these girls tells you that they were targeting vulnerable kids.
“It is not an accident that Jane and Kate and Annie and Carolyn all came from single-mother households.
“When you’re with someone for 11 years, you know what they like. Epstein liked underaged girls.
“He liked to touch underaged girls. Maxwell knew it. Make no mistake, Maxwell was crucial to the whole scheme. Epstein could not have done this alone.”
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How long will the jury deliberate?
It’s anyone’s guess how long the jury in the Ghislaine Maxwell case will deliberate on the charges against her.
They were expected to begin deliberations on Monday following closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense.
But the jury could take just hours or several days to complete deliberation.
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Jury given instructions
Now that the closing arguments are over, the judge has read out the charges against Ghislaine Maxwell and will give them instructions on on how to deliberate each one against her.
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‘They did it for justice’
During the prosecution’s rebuttal on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey asked of the defense’s claim that the Epstein accusers were in it for money, “Did that look fun? Why would they put themselves through that, when they’ve already gotten millions of dollars [from an Epstein settlement],” The Independent reported.
“They did it for justice, for the hope that the defendant would be held accountable for her role in shattering their lives,” the prosecutor said.
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What happened to Jeffrey Epstein?
Jeffrey Epstein died in his prison cell in August 2019, after being federally charged with exploiting dozens of underage girls in New York and Florida in the early 2000s.
He previously attempted suicide in late July of 2019, before his reported successful suicide attempt in early August.
The guards who were supposed to monitor Epstein are facing federal charges for not properly supervising him prior to his death.
One day before he reportedly killed himself, a federal appeals court released the transcript of a 2016 deposition in which Epstein repeatedly refused to say whether Maxwell had procured young girls for him.
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Prosecution to present rebuttal
The prosecution will present its rebuttal to the defense’s closing argument after the court concludes a short break.
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‘It was the biggest mistake of her life’
Defense attorney Laura Menninger ended her closing argument on Monday by telling the jury: “Ghislaine is being tried here for being with Jeffrey Epstein.”
“Maybe it was the biggest mistake of her life. But it is not a crime,” she added, according to the Independent.
“Acquit her.”
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Maxwell’s brother claims she’s being ‘tortured’
Kevin alleged in an interview with GMB that “what we’re seeing and witnessing on a daily basis is not care, it’s abuse.”
“She got fed a pack of crisps all day today. I consider this regime imposed on anyone, consecutively for 524 days, is abuse and is torture,” he claimed.
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Does Ghislaine Maxwell have kids?
Ghislaine Maxwell does not have any children of her own, but is reportedly the stepmother to her husband’s children from his first marriage.
According to reports, Maxwell secretly wed tech millionaire Scott Borgerson in 2016.
Maxwell’s own family didn’t know about the wedding until her bail hearing, according to her brother, Ian.
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Who is Scott Borgerson?
Scott Borgerson is the CEO of CargoMetrics.
He lives in a £2.3million ocean-front mansion in Massachusetts, and his company was valued at $100million in 2020.
He has been linked to Ghislaine Maxwell, and it is alleged that he is the British socialite’s “secret” husband.
However, Borgerson has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming that he and Maxwell are just old friends.
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‘Ghislaine Maxwell is not Epstein’
The defense began their closing argument on Monday as well, The Independent noted.
Maxwell’s attorney Laura Menninger began her closing for the defense by saying, “I am not here to defend Jeffrey Epstein. He is not my client.”
“The US presented evidence like a sensational tabloid. These were things that Epstein did, perhaps, his crimes.”
“But Ghislaine Maxwell is not Epstein.”
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Prosection’s closing argument
“She targeted a girl whose father had just died. She targeted a girl whose mother was an alcoholic,” Assistant US Attorney Alison Moe said during the closing argument for the prosecution on Monday.
Moe said Ghislaine Maxwell was a “sophisticated” predator who “caused deep and lasting harm to young girls. It is time to hold her accountable,” the Independent noted.
“The proof is in. It’s clear. It’s consistent and it points to only one conclusion: Maxwell is guilty.”
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When will the jury deliberate?
Both sides in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial are expected to give their closing arguments on Monday.
It’s then anyone’s guess how long the jury will deliberate the case.
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‘She groomed them’
During closing arguments, Assistant US Attorney Alison Moe told the jury, “Ghislaine Maxwell was dangerous. She was a grown woman who preyed on vulnerable kids,” according to The Independent.
Ms Moe added, “Maxwell ran the same playbook again and again. She groomed them. She caused deep and lasting harm to young girls. It is time to hold her accountable.”
“The proof is in. It’s clear. It’s consistent and only points to one conclusion: Maxwell is guilty,” she added, before going into “eight different reasons” Maxwell should be convicted.
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Charges against Maxwell
Prosecutors allege that between 1994 and 1997 she helped Epstein to groom girls as young as 14.
Maxwell has been charged with six counts of perjury and sex trafficking offenses:
- Count one: Conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
- Count two: Enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
- Count three: Conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Count four: Transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Counts five and six: Perjury – the offence of wilfully telling an untruth or making a misrepresentation under oath.
The 17-page indictment against Maxwell accused her of grooming and befriending victims, normalizing inappropriate behavior, being present during abuse to put victims at ease, encouraging victims to accept Epstein’s help, and encouraging victims to engage in sexual activity and taking part herself.
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What has Ghislaine Maxwell been accused of?
Maxwell is accused of acting as a “madam” for Jeffrey Epstein, US court documents previously revealed.
Prosecutors allege she had a history of giving powerful men access to women.
A defamation case involving Virginia Giuffre claims Prince Andrew slept with her three times, and that she was recruited by Maxwell in 1999 where she was introduced to Epstein.
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Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?
Maxwell is the former girlfriend of notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
She was arrested by the FBI in July 2020 in Bedford, New Hampshire.
Maxwell is accused of having a role in Epstein’s sex trafficking ring of underage girls.
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Closing arguments today
Closing arguments in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial are expected to begin on Monday.
The defense rested its case after two days and Maxwell did not take the stand.
“Your honor, the government has not proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and so there’s no reason for me to testify,” Maxwell told Judge Alison Nathan on Friday.
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Maxwell’s ex-assistant claims Epstein would see other women
Jeffery Epstein would see other women behind socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s back, her ex-assistant told the court this week.
Cimberly Espinosa, 55, who was hired by Epstein and then worked for Maxwell for six years, said she was once tasked with buying flowers for another woman.
The witness — the first to testify at the start of Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial defense — described a parade of women visiting billionaire pedophile Epstein in his New York office from 1996 to 2002.
Asked how old they were, she told a court in Manhattan: “Eighteen and over. Young women.”