The defense lawyers representing Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged former madam of the late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, are currently fighting to hide from the public sensitive evidence that would include any nude photos or sexualized videos.
The New York Post reported that Maxwell’s lawyers filed a proposed protective order on Monday that detailed all the discovery materials they want hidden from the public. These materials included “highly confidential” information, which they said should not be “disseminated, transmitted, or otherwise copied.”
“Highly Confidential Information contains nude, partially-nude, or otherwise sexualized images, videos, or other depictions of individuals,” the court papers said.
The filing went on to say that Maxwell’s lawyers have been working with prosecutors to determine what discovery materials should be made public, and that they only disagreed on two details. One of the two things that they couldn’t agree on was whether Maxwell’s lawyers could disclose the identities of victims that have been mentioned in the discovery material who have already spoken on the record or to the media.
“The government’s proposed restriction is therefore ‘broader than necessary’ to protect the privacy interests of these individuals who have already chosen to self-identify, and will hinder the defense’s ability to conduct further factual investigation, prepare witnesses for trial, and advocate on Ms. Maxwell’s behalf,” her attorneys wrote in the filing.
A judge will now need to decide which documents are kept from the public eye.
Maxwell was arrested earlier this month and hit with six charges related to her allegedly grooming young girls for sex with Epstein, and in sometimes participating in acts of sexual abuse herself. If convicted, Maxwell is facing 35 years in prison.
A judge has ordered that Maxwell be held without bail, agreeing with prosecutors that she poses a significant flight risk given her immense wealth and her international connections to powerful people. After her arrest, one Epstein victim described Maxwell as the “mastermind” behind the billionaire’s entire operation.
“That woman was much more sinister than Epstein, and to me, much more dangerous,” victim Maria Farmer told Daily Mail. “She was definitely the mastermind. She was in charge.”
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