SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Dec 28 – Ghislaine
Maxwell,
charged with
sex
trafficking
and other
charges, is nearing
the end of
trial that
started on
November 29,
after the
November 23
final-final
pre trial conference,
vlog here.
On
December 28,
the fourth day
of jury
deliberations,
Judge Alison
J. Nathan
cited the
spread of
Omicron's
impact on the
trial
going forward.
Inner City
Press minutes
later renewed its
request for a
public call-in
line to the
proceeds, as
it provided in
DDC, EDNY and
by other judges in
SDNY,
including in
criminal
proceedings, see
below.
At
December 28
end of day, Judge
Nathan told
the lawyers
she is of a
mind to have
the jurors
deliberate on New
Year's Eve and
New
Year's Day
if they
haven't
reached a
verdict by
then. Inner
City Press
live tweeted here:
Update
of 9:47 am -
Lawyers are
assembling.
Bobbi
Sternheim,
prosecutors,
Leah Saffian
in front row.
But still no
Maxwell, nor
Judge Nathan.
Both should be
coming. Might
Judge Nathan
set US a
deadline to
reply on
instruction-Gate?
Or have they
already,
UNdocketed?
It
begins. Judge
Nathan: I got
the defense's
letter this
morning. I
haven't heard
from the
government.
Maxwell is at
the defense
table: black
sweater, black
mask.
Assistant US
Attorney asks
that courtroom
door be
closed, says
"Just being
cautious."
AUSA:
There is no
reason to be
speculating
about what the
jury is
thinking.
Sending back
the [proposed]
additional
instruction
would just
compound the
problem. Judge
Nathan: The
defense's
proposal
speaks about
Count 2 which
wasn't asked
about.
Judge
Nathan: I want
to make more
of a record of
extending the
deliberations
by an hour. I
want to make
clear: I am
doing this
because of the
expansion of
Omicron.
[Inner City
Press: Then
why still no
public call-in
line? And what
of the 3 day
DC trip?
Judge
Nathan says
she will speak
later today
about
deliberations
going forward.
Speed up or
pause, due to
Omicron?
Defense
speaks, not
(yet) on that,
but to make a
further record
(for appeal)
about their
proposed
additional
instruction to
the jury.
Judge
Nathan: I'm
not going to
give them an
incorrect
instruction.
Judge goes on
to refer again
to Omicron.
OK - now
at 4:45 pm
in US v.
#GhislaineMaxwell,
the lawyer are
assembling,
it's said
there is a
note from the
jury. There's
also this
renewed
request for a
public call-in
line, citing
Omicron, here
Judge
Nathan: The
jury says, We
are making
progress and
would like to
end today at 5
pm and resume
tomorrow at 9
am. Does
anyone want to
say anything?
I have a view.
Defense: Let
them go. AUSA:
We defer to
the court.
Judge Nathan:
I'll tell,
deliberate the
weekend
[Note:
Judge Nathan
canceled the
trial for
three days to
go to DC, told
jurors they'd
have this
Thursday and
Friday off.
Now she's
saying
deliberated
Dec 31 and Jan
1, if no
verdict.
Appealable?]
Defense: Why
tell them the
weekend? Just
the week.
Judge
Nathan: I will
say "everyday
this week."
[Apparently
she'll only
mention the
weekend when
it gets
closer.]
Defense: Thank
you. Judge
Nathan: I'll
ask Ms.
Williams to
bring them
out.
Inner
City Press filed
a letter for docketing
and ruling on:
"Dear Judge
Nathan:
On behalf of
Inner City
Press and in
my personal
capacity, I
have been
covering the
above-captioned
case, and have
repeatedly
asked that a
public call-in
line be
provided, in
light of
COVID-19
restrictions
and
spread.
Now this
morning the
Court has
taken note of
the rapid
spread of
Omicron. This
is the time to
belatedly
provide the
public call-in
line, for jury
notes,
counsel's
argument, and
the reading of
the verdict,
if and when it
happens.
Yesterday
Inner City
Press was
informed that
a person who
has been
attending the
trial in the
overflow
courtroom(s)
and reporting
to a wider
audience was
not allowed
into the
courthouse,
with COVID /
Omicron and
social
distancing
being cited as
the reason
(according to
the
individual).
While Inner
City Press
continues to
inquire into
this seeking
to confirm or
disprove it,
it highlights
the need for a
public call-in
line, to
ensure a
public
trial.
Also on
transparency,
while again
requesting the
unsealing /
unredaction in
the flight
logs of all
but victims' /
survivors'
names (there
is a flight in
the Rodgers
log from
Wilmington,
Delaware to
New Jersey,
involving
non-victims,
in which Inner
City Press is
particularly
interested),
this is also a
request that
all court
exhibits,
including jury
notes, by
docketed on
PACER on the
same-day basis
the US
Attorney's
Office was
supposed to
operated on
USAfx (but at
times did
not).
While
appreciating
that the Court
docketed
before denying
Inner City
Press'
November 12
request for a
call-in line,
Dkt. 451,
since then
travel
restrictions
to New York
have been
imposed on
entire
countries,
including some
visited by
Jeffrey
Epstein's
plane, with
defendant
Maxwell
aboard, in
their tour of
Africa with
former
President
Clinton and
others.
Restrictions
and cases are
growing in New
York, but
still no
call-in line.
By contrast,
on December 17
Judge Richard
J. Sullivan
provided a
call-in line
for an
in-person
criminal
proceeding.
And yesterday
EDNY had a
criminal
proceeding
with a call-in
line" -- see
here.
On
Sunday December
19, Assistant
US Attorney
Maurene Comey wrote
in jointly
with Maxwell and
her legal
team stating
that
with regard to
the closing
arguments,
"the public
interest in
viewing the
parties’
presentations
is marginal."
Inner City Press
immediately
filed
opposition to
Judge
Nathan, calling
this inaccurate
and insulting, and asking for
unsealing (and
a public
call-in line).
Inner City
Press letter here
and here.
On the
morning of
December 20
AUSA Alison
Moe gave the
government's
closing
argument.
Inner City
Press live
tweeted here,
podcast
here,
8:30 am
live
stream
here
Then,
the defense rebuttal, live tweeted here,
podcast
here
On December 21, a full day of jury
deliberations with requests for
information, and for scheduling. Inner
City Press live tweeted here,
9 am live stream here,
podcast here
On December 22, a full day of
deliberation with nothing from the
jury until nearly 4 pm, when they
asked for the testimony for Kate and
Juan Alessi, and said they could not
deliberate again until December 27.
Inner City Press live tweeted it here,
9 am live stream here,
podcast here
On December 27 mid-morning the jury
returned and sent out a note, asking
for office supplies, "Matt's"
testimony and a definition of
enticement. Inner City Press live
tweeted it here,
9 am live stream here,
podcast here.
On December 27 near 3 pm, the jury
sent out a note asking for the
testimony of Epstein pilot David
Rogers. Judge Nathan told the parties
she is considering telling or
encouraging the jurors to deliberate
longer hours and "complete the task."
Inner City Press live tweeted here,
2d podcast here.
On December 27 nearing 5 pm, there was
a question from the jury, and an
instruction by Judge Nathan. Inner
City Press live tweeted it here.
Dated December 27 but docketed
on December 28, Maxwell's lawyers have
contested the response Judge Nathan
gave to the jury. Full letter with
proposed additional instruction here.
Inner City Press view:
The jury question that Judge Nathan
called incomprehensible was, If we
find that the defendant aided in the
transportation of Jane's return flight
from NM, but not her flight TO NM...
can we find her guilty of the 2d
element of Count 4?
Since the juror had, earlier on
Monday, asked to get all of pilot Dave
Rodgers' testimony, it might seem
they're drilling into specific
flights, to and from NM, and how the
law applies to each of them. But
why did the SDNY prosecutors leave the
case so narrow?
How
large is
Maxwell's
legal and other team? Watch
this site - and
#MaximumMaxwell
On October 29
and again on November 12
Maxwell
and the US
Attorney's
Office for the
Southern
District of
New York filed
a flurry of
motions in
limine,
heavily
redacted; the
Government
argued that
trial exhibits
are not public
and will be
withheld.
Inner City
Press opposed
and opposes
the continued
secrecy. And
see DC op-ed here.
On
December 16,
after a three
day hiatus as
Judge Nathan
went to DC
seeking
2d Circuit seat,
Maxwell's
defense began,
with her executive
assistant
Cimerly Espinosa.
Inner City Press
live tweeted
here,
8:45 am live
stream here,
podcast here
On
the afternoon
of December
17, the
defense rested,
and Ghislaine
Maxwell said
there was no
reason for her to
testify
because, she
said, the
government had
not proved its
case beyond
a reasonable
doubt,
after Eva
Dubin. Inner
City Press
live
tweeted here,
podcast here,
midday live
stream here
On
Saturday
December 18
Judge Nathan
held the
charging
conference, at
which references
to "the defendant"
were changed to
a more
Lady-like "Ms.
Maxwell" and
foreign travel
and the
word "minor"
were dropped and
replaced.
Inner City
Press live tweeted
here,
and below,
pre-conference
live
stream here, podcast
here
On
December 10,
leading up to
the US resting
of its case,
Annie Farmer
was cross
examined, then
her
ex-boyfriend
and mother
testified.
Inner City
Press live
tweeted it here,
podcast here,
stand-up,
GMax
sister -
and circus
Again,
where is the
Press
opposition to
all this
sealing, and
the
decision-maker?
On October 18 the US
Attorney's Office opposed the
request, saying the the voir
dire questions should be asked
by Judge Nathan, and that
there should only be sidebars
on "sensitive questions such
as those that relate to sexual
abuse and media exposure."
Full letter on Patreon here.
In a
conference on October 21 on
that as scheduling issues,
Judge Nathan denied the
request to seal. Inner City
Press live tweeted it
here (podcast here)
On October 22 the
draft jury questionnaire was
unsealed and Inner City Press
has immediately published it
on its DocumentCloud here,
including "Have you or a
family member ever supported,
lobbied, petitioned,
protested, or worked in
any other manner for or
against any laws, regulations,
or organizations relating to
sex trafficking, sex crimes
against minors, sex abuse or
sexual harassment?" Photo here.
After the death of Jeffrey
Epstein in the MCC prison, on
July 2 Acting US Attorney for
the SDNY Audrey Strauss
announced and unsealed in
indictment of Maxwell on
charges including sex
trafficking and perjury.
Inner City Press went to her
press conference at the US
Attorney's Office and asked,
Doesn't charging Maxwell with
perjury undercut any ability
to use testimony from her
against other, bigger
wrong-doers? Periscope here
at 23:07.
Strauss
replied that it is not
impossible to use a perjurer's
testimony. But how often does
it work?
At 3:30 pm
on July 2 Maxwell appeared in
the U.S. District Court for
the District of New Hampsire,
before Magistriate Judge Andrea
K. Johnstone.
Inner City
Press live
tweeted it
here.
(Also
live tweeted
bail denial of
July 14, here.)
In
the July 3 media coverage of
Maxwell, media all of the
world used a video and stills
from it of Maxwell speaking in
front of a blue curtain, like
here.
What they
did not mention is something
Inner City Press has been
asking the UN about, as under
UNSG Antonio Guterres with his
own sexual exploitation issues
(exclusive video
and audio)
it got roughed up and banned
from the UN: Ghislaine Maxwell
had a ghoulish United Nations
press conference, under the
banner of the "Terramar
Project," here.
On July 5,
after some crowd-sourcing,
Inner City Press reported on
another Ghislaine Maxwell use
of the United Nations,
facilitated by Italy's
Permanent Representative to
the UN, UN official Nikhil
Seth and Amir Dossal,
who also let into the UN and
in one case took money from
convicted UN briber Ng Lap
Seng, and Patrick Ho of CEFC
China Energy, also linked to
UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres.
At the
Ghislaine Maxwell UN event,
the UN Deputy Secretary
General was directly involved.
List of (some of)
the participants on Patreon here.
Inner City
Press has published a phone of
Maxwell in the UN with Dossal,
here. But the connection runs
deeper: Dossal with "25 years
of UN involvement" was on
Terrarmar's board of
directors, one of only five
directors, only three not
related to Maxwell by blood
and name.
The directors:
Ghislaine Maxwell, Christine
Malina-Maxwell, Steven Haft,
Christine Dennison and... Amir
Dossal. Inner City Press is
publishing this full 990 on
Patreon here.
Dossal has
operated through the UN Office
of Partnership, with Antonio
Guterres and his deputy Amina
J. Mohammed, here.
And the links to
the world of UN bribery,
including Antonio Guterres
through the Gulbenkian
Foundation, runs deeper. More
to follow.
Antonio Guterres
claims he has zero tolerance
for sexual exploitation, but
covers it up and even
participate in it. He should
be forced to resign - and/or
have immunity waived.
Terramar
has been dissolved, even
though Maxwell's former
fundraiser / director of
development Brian Yurasits
still lists the URL on his
(protected) Twitter profile,
also here.
But now
Inner City Press has begun to
inquire into Ghislaine
Maxwell's other United Nations
connections, starting with
this photograph of another
day's (or at least another
outfit's) presentation in the
UN, here.
While co-conspirator Antonio
Guterres has had Inner City
Press banned from any entry
into the UN for two years and
a day, this appears to be in
the UN Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) chamber.
We'll have more on this, and
on Epstein and the UN. Watch
this site.
The case
is US v. Maxwell, 20-cr-330
(Nathan).
***
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