By — Michael R. Sisak, Associated Press Michael R. Sisak, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/federal-judge-rejects-ghislaine-maxwells-miscarriage-of-justice-claim-and-bid-for-prison-release Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Federal judge rejects Ghislaine Maxwell's 'miscarriage of justice' claim and bid for prison release Nation Aug 25, 2026 11:00 AM EDT NEW YORK (AP) — Claims by Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend and longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell that her sex trafficking conviction was a "complete miscarriage of justice" were rejected Tuesday by a federal judge who said her assertions were based on "speculation, distortions, and/or outright falsehoods." Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said in a written ruling that Maxwell's habeas petition seeking to set aside her conviction and free her from a 20-year prison sentence on the grounds that there was "substantial new evidence" was "demonstrably meritless." READ MORE: State of New Mexico sues Justice Department and Todd Blanche, saying they blocked its Epstein probe "Maxwell's petition falls very far from the mark," Engelmayer said. "There is no fact that Maxwell fairly puts in dispute that has any potential to disturb the outcome of her trial." Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Maxwell maintained in a habeas petition last December that information that would have resulted in her exoneration at her 2021 trial was withheld and false testimony was presented to the jury. She said the cumulative effect of the constitutional violations resulted in a "complete miscarriage of justice." WATCH: Ghislaine Maxwell not cooperating because she is campaigning for Trump pardon, Democrats say A request for comment was sent to lawyers for Maxwell on Tuesday. Habeas petitions are often filed as a last resort and to protect against unlawful confinement after appeals are exhausted, as happened after Maxwell's conviction and sentencing. Epstein, a millionaire financier, was arrested in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges. Ordered detained until trial, he was found dead in his cell at a New York federal jail in August 2019 and the death was ruled a suicide. READ MORE: Blanche meets with Epstein accusers after demand from Republican senator crucial to confirmation Maxwell, a British socialite, was arrested a year later and was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021. She was interviewed by the Justice Department's second-in-command in July 2025 and was soon afterward moved from a federal prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Michael R. Sisak, Associated Press Michael R. Sisak, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Claims by Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend and longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell that her sex trafficking conviction was a "complete miscarriage of justice" were rejected Tuesday by a federal judge who said her assertions were based on "speculation, distortions, and/or outright falsehoods." Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said in a written ruling that Maxwell's habeas petition seeking to set aside her conviction and free her from a 20-year prison sentence on the grounds that there was "substantial new evidence" was "demonstrably meritless." READ MORE: State of New Mexico sues Justice Department and Todd Blanche, saying they blocked its Epstein probe "Maxwell's petition falls very far from the mark," Engelmayer said. "There is no fact that Maxwell fairly puts in dispute that has any potential to disturb the outcome of her trial." Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Maxwell maintained in a habeas petition last December that information that would have resulted in her exoneration at her 2021 trial was withheld and false testimony was presented to the jury. She said the cumulative effect of the constitutional violations resulted in a "complete miscarriage of justice." WATCH: Ghislaine Maxwell not cooperating because she is campaigning for Trump pardon, Democrats say A request for comment was sent to lawyers for Maxwell on Tuesday. Habeas petitions are often filed as a last resort and to protect against unlawful confinement after appeals are exhausted, as happened after Maxwell's conviction and sentencing. Epstein, a millionaire financier, was arrested in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges. Ordered detained until trial, he was found dead in his cell at a New York federal jail in August 2019 and the death was ruled a suicide. READ MORE: Blanche meets with Epstein accusers after demand from Republican senator crucial to confirmation Maxwell, a British socialite, was arrested a year later and was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021. She was interviewed by the Justice Department's second-in-command in July 2025 and was soon afterward moved from a federal prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now