According to the Associated Press, when the jury began to select her for her sexual abuse trial on Tuesday, someone saw Gislain Maxwell draw lots in court.
Maxwell wore a black suit, walked into the courtroom, hugged her lawyer, and then simply sketched the court artist who drew her.
When Judge Alison Nathan began to question whether they could be fair in the case against Maxwell, the prospective jurors saw the British socialite for the first time. Nathan reminded prospective jurors that Maxwell must be considered not guilty before a verdict is issued.
Maxwell pleaded not guilty to the charge of helping her Jeffrey Epstein Between 1994 and 2004, sexually abused girls as young as 14 years old.
Six hundred potential jurors were shown videos of two judges describing the case and the jury selection process. Hundreds of people were fired after filling out a written questionnaire. Nathan is expected to question approximately 230 potential jurors within a few days.
Each prospective juror sits alone on the jury bench for 10 to 15 minutes, while Nathan asks questions about 10 feet away.
Some prospective jurors said they had heard of Jeffrey Epstein but not Maxwell, while others said they had heard of them all.
Twelve jurors and six alternate jurors will be selected at the opening presentation on November 29.
For more reports from the Associated Press, please see below.
Elizabeth Williams/Associated Press Photo
The trial is expected to last until mid-January.
In particular, the judge wanted to know whether any member of the jury-from a wide range of areas in and around New York City-could remain impartial after being sexually harassed or having a bad experience in law enforcement.
A 68-year-old Manhattan resident said that she believed she had experienced “what we know today” sexual harassment. But she added that she might not have considered the matter in the same way at the time, and she did not believe that she had ever been a victim of serious harassment or abuse.
When a 72-year-old Manhattan man was serving as the training and service director of a high-end catering company, the judge asked him whether working with the rich would affect his fairness and justice. Maxwell estimates her assets are worth $22.5 million.
“They provided my livelihood,” he said with a smile.
Maxwell and her lawyer watched behind the prosecutor. The majority of the two dozen viewers separated to guard against the coronavirus are journalists.
Epstein was arrested in 2019, but when financiers and convicted sex offenders committed suicide while awaiting trial, the case against him took a shocking turn.
After Epstein’s death, the prosecutor set his sights on his ex-girlfriend Maxwell.
This wealthy socialite who was educated at Oxford University is the daughter of British publishing magnate Robert Maxwell. He fell off his yacht and died in 1991-his name is Mrs. Gislain-Near the Canary Islands, while facing charges of illegally plundering his corporate pension fund.
Maxwell has citizenship of the United States, Britain and France, and was repeatedly refused bail before the trial.
