Ghislaine Maxwell to spend Christmas – her 60th birthday – behind bars
- The jury in Maxwell’s sex crimes trial suspended deliberations on Wednesday without reaching a verdict
- Maxwell is accused of recruiting and grooming young girls to be sexually abused by the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein
Ghislaine Maxwell will spend Christmas Day – her 60th birthday – behind bars, after the jury in her sex crimes trial suspended deliberations on Wednesday without reaching a verdict.
The 12-person jury began considering Maxwell’s fate on Monday after a three-week trial and has since met for two full days to weigh the charges against her.
Judge Alison Nathan granted a request from the jurors that they take Thursday off and told them to return on Monday, after the Christmas holiday.
Maxwell, the daughter of former British newspaper baron Robert Maxwell, is accused of recruiting and grooming young girls to be sexually abused by the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
She faces an effective life sentence if convicted of the charges, one of which is conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor that carries a maximum 40-year prison sentence.
At one point on Wednesday, the jury asked the judge for the transcript of the testimony of the former manager of Epstein’s property in Palm Beach, Florida.
The jury has also asked the judge for transcripts of the testimony of the four women who testified against Maxwell during her high-profile trial.