NEW YORK—Both sets of lawyers continue to file court papers regarding Ghislaine Maxwell’s June 28 sentencing, this time specifically concerning oral presentations by the alleged victims.
On June 21, Judge Alison Nathan instructed the prosecution that, in accordance with the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, anyone who wants to speak at the sentencing must contact the Victim Witness Unit by June 23.
The deadline has been met.
The prosecution filed paperwork with the court on June 22 stating it had notified six alleged victims, all of whom testified at the trial, of their right to be heard at the sentencing.
Of the six, “Kate” and Annie Farmer intend to speak on Tuesday.
Impact Statements
Additionally, Nathan required the prosecution to submit the proposed victims’ “impact statements” by June 24.On June 22, attorney Sigrid S. McCawley of Boies Schiller Flexner submitted the contents of seven impact statements from alleged victims for review by the court.
Many pages of the document were redacted in full from the public, leaving only five accessible.
Nathan has received two letters drawing his attention to some of the inaccessible documents regarding alleged victim Virginia Giuffre and her request to make a statement at the sentencing.
The first letter, from attorney Bruce A. Green, states that Giuffre has a “serious lack of credibility with respect to the Epstein-Maxwell matter,” citing a recent deposition she gave in a pending civil case with Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz.
Objections by Defense
Maxwell’s defense team has objected to the seven impact statements to be read at the sentencing.
For eight pages in a June 24 document, they lay out their argument, which is essentially that those looking to speak do not qualify as victims according to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.
They also go on to say, “Ms. Maxwell’s due process rights must be safeguarded” and “the sentencing proceeding should not be a bully pulpit for anyone who claims abuse.”
