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TOPLINE
In a Monday letter to a New York judge, lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell complained of the conditions she’s subjected to behind bars, claiming that she is being “treated worse” than similar detainees by prison officials determined to keep her alive until trial—and avoid a repeat of Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 suicide in a Manhattan lockup.
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 1995 in New York City.
Photo by Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
KEY FACTS
Maxwell’s treatment “is a reaction to the circumstances surrounding the pretrial detention and death of Mr. Epstein,” her lawyers write, adding, “as a result of what occurred with Mr. Epstein, Ms. Maxwell is being treated worse than other similarly situated pretrial detainees.”
Maxwell is being held in Brooklyn’s federal prison, while Epstein was held in Manhattan’s notorious Metropolitan Correctional Center, reported to have rodents, bad food, cramped conditions and little natural light in the section where Epstein was held.
Maxwell, her lawyers claim, is being held “under uniquely onerous conditions” that include her isolation from the general prison population, suicide watch protocols that forced her to wear “special clothing” and be woken up multiple times every night, along with round-the-clock surveillance by video cameras and guards who take notes on her phone conversations.
In addition, Maxwell’s lawyers claim her cell is searched multiple times per day and that “she has been forced to undergo numerous body scans.”
These conditions are hurting Maxwell’s ability to prepare for trial, her lawyers argue, and threaten her Sixth Amendment rights, which guarantee her participation in her own defense.
New York’s Bureau of Prisons did not respond to a request for comment by Forbes.
Crucial quote
“Until recently, Ms. Maxwell was subjected to suicide watch protocols, including being woken up every few hours during the night and being forced to wear special clothing, despite the fact that she, unlike Mr. Epstein, has never been suicidal and was never diagnosed as exhibiting risk factors for suicide,” her lawyers write.
Big number
335 days. That’s how long Maxwell has until her trial is scheduled to start on July 12, 2021.
Key background
Epstein died by suicide on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges connected to his alleged sex ring of underage girls. His death followed a suicide attempt on July 23, 2019, and after he was arrested three weeks prior. An investigation following Epstein’s death found a perfect storm of events—including sleeping prison guards and issues with security camera footage—allowed him to take his own life. The two guards tasked with watching him at the time were criminally charged by the Justice Department in November 2019. A month later, reports emerged that the FBI was investigating Maxwell, Epstein’s ex-girlfriend and an alleged recruiter of multiple women claiming to be Epstein’s victims. Maxwell was arrested July 2 in New Hampshire and charged with enticing and transporting minors as part of Epstein’s alleged sex ring, along with committing perjury during 2016 depositions that are part of the Giuffre defamation case. Maxwell entered a not guilty plea to the charges and denies all previous allegations.
Tangent
In a separate case—a defamation suit between former Epstein defender and celebrity lawyer Alan Dershowitz and alleged Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre—a judge on Monday ordered correspondence between Dershowitz and former Victoria’s Secret CEO Leslie Wexner to be unsealed. Both Dershowitz and Giuffre seek Wexner’s testimony for their defenses, and a hearing has been set for August 17. Wexner, a billionaire, ended his 57-year run as the head of parent company L Brands in February, as Victoria’s Secret sales falter and scrutiny around his ties to Epstein continue. Wexner was Epstein’s only known client from the disgraced financier’s years managing millions in wealth, and claimed in 2019 they had severed their relationship over a decade earlier. Wexner has also claimed Epstein misappropriated $46 million of his fortune.
Further reading
Jeffrey Epstein Documents Could Expose Powerful Politicians, Businessmen (Forbes)
Unsealed Jeffrey Epstein Documents List New Allegations Against Powerful Men (Forbes)
Jeffrey Epstein’s Dark Façade Finally Cracks (Forbes)
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
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