Remember when jurors wanted transcripts of every Ghislaine Maxwell accuser BUT “Kate”?
Now, they want the testimony of “Kate” and Juan [Alessi, presumably].
They also want “Jane’s” transcript again—this time, in a three-ring binder.
As for those seeking a tea-leaf read on this one, the most that can seemingly be divined here is:
They’re studious.
Also, with the caveat that we do not know the context of the gesture:
Maxwell’s attorneys Laura Menninger and Bobbi Sternheim could be seen giving each other a high-five in court—before the brief conference to discuss plans for Thursday.
Jurors want to scrutinize this FBI note from Carolyn's interview in 2007.
Here's the thing:
Notes from FBI interviews are NOT evidence. Jurors want to know the basis of Carolyn's cross-examination, showing they appear to be engaging with the defense here.
The first full day of jury deliberations begins in the case of Ghislaine Maxwell.
In an interview yesterday, I was asked about an instruction given to the jury in considering their verdict: "conscious avoidance."
How it begins—and a quick thread.
To be clear:
The claims against Maxwell are NOT that she avoided knowledge of alleged crimes.
Maxwell is accused of facilitating and participating in Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of minors. Three accusing witnesses testified that she touched their breasts.
If the jury accepts the defense's efforts to distance Maxwell from Epstein, however, this charge could become significant.
Now, jurors have been instructed to consider whether she was "willfully blind" to what was going on—and multiple witnesses called her Epstein's "No. 2."
Closing arguments will begin shortly in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, and a new tranche of exhibits have been released by the government — among them, Jeffrey Epstein's flight logs.
I'll be covering the proceedings live for @LawCrimeNews.
A couple of notations about the logs:
* They're 118 pages.
* They span from April 1991 to Jan. 2006.
* They're signed by Epstein's ex-chief pilot David Rodgers.
* They appear to be pretty lightly redacted, including—we learned in court—by shielding the names of the accusers.
🔼 A Ghislaine Maxwell trial guide for the perplexed, with sharp analysis by:
* @MitchellEpner, ex-federal sex trafficking prosecutor.
* @LisaBloom, who reps eight Jeffrey Epstein victims.
* @JenGRodgers, who spent more than a decade prosecuting in the SDNY
And if you want to catch up on the first two weeks of trial in podcast form, check out the latest episode of @LawCrimeNetwork's "Objections."
Guest @LisaBloom sheds light on how her eight Epstein victim clients view the trial.
After a false start yesterday, we are expected against to her from the only accusing witness against Ghislaine Maxwell testifying under her real name: Annie Farmer.
Pre-trial discussions today have not yet addressed the attorney's illness yesterday.
I am working on a story on popular conceptions about the Maxwell trial that experts tell me are rooted in lack of familiarity about the criminal process—and what these proceedings are and are not meant to accomplish.