Ghislaine Maxwell lost her bid for a new trial connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
The news comes about three months after the 61-year-old socialite was found guilty of helping Epstein recruit and groom underage girls for sexual abuse.
Maxwell was convicted on five federal charges, including sex trafficking of a minor and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and faces up to 65 years in prison.
A judge rejected the request submitted by Maxwell’s legal team, in which they cited concerns that one of the jurors had provided a false answer on a pretrial screening questionnaire. The juror allegedly admitted he failed to disclose he had experienced sexual abuse as a child and had shared his story with other jurors.
“This is one of the biggest mistakes I have made in my life,” the juror, identified as Scotty David, told the court earlier this month, explaining that he “flew through” the questionnaire and was “super distracted” by the events in the jury room.
Maxwell’s defense team argued that the juror’s decision to share his experience may have affected the trial’s outcome. They expressed concerns that David’s account may have swayed the other jurors and caused them to be sympathetic toward Maxwell’s accusers, thus resulting in an unfair trial.
