Ghislaine Maxwell: Step-by-step guide to what many predict will be one of the ...

Ghislaine Maxwell: Step-by-step guide to what many predict will be one of the ...
Ghislaine Maxwell: Step-by-step guide to what many predict will be one of the ...

Long before dawn on Monday morning, Ghislaine Maxwell will be taken out of her 6ft by 9ft cell at Brooklyn's bleak Metropolitan Detention Centre for a day the British socialite has long fought desperately to avoid.

In her blue prison uniform, shackled by her hands and feet, she will be ushered into a white Department of Corrections prison van for the six-mile journey through Brooklyn, across the East River and on to a downtown Manhattan court.

The route offers a fine view of the Statue of Liberty and should she catch a glimpse of it through the window grilles, its welcome to the world's 'huddled masses' may now ring hollow for this particular immigrant.

Ghislaine Maxwell, the Jeffrey Epstein associate accused of sex trafficking, is led into court in shackles for a pre-trial hearing ahead of jury selection, expected to begin later in the week

Ghislaine Maxwell, the Jeffrey Epstein associate accused of sex trafficking, is led into court in shackles for a pre-trial hearing ahead of jury selection, expected to begin later in the week

Thirty years after she moved to the US following the death of her father Robert Maxwell – the newspaper publisher who plundered millions from his companies' pension funds – and tirelessly worked to reinvent herself, she faces charges that could see the American Dream end for her in a maximum 80-year sentence.

When she arrives at the courthouse in Foley Square on Monday, facing charges over allegedly helping her super-rich friend Jeffrey Epstein groom and sexually abuse underage girls, she will be transferred to a holding cell before being led to a courtroom reserved for high-profile trials.

So what can we expect in the coming weeks? And, above all, will Prince Andrew – who she introduced to Epstein – be dragged into the case? Here is our step-by-step guide to what many predict will be one of the trials of the century.

What are the charges?

Maxwell faces six charges, including enticement of minors, sex trafficking of children, and perjury. From 1994 to 2004, she allegedly 'assisted, facilitated and contributed' to Epstein's abuse of children as young as 14. She denies all of the charges.

The accusers

At least four women will testify against Maxwell, one of whom is understood to be British. All but one of them is having her anonymity protected by the judge but they will give evidence in full view of the court and press gallery.

The witness who has given up her right to anonymity is American psychologist Annie Farmer. She has already alleged Maxwell and Epstein sexually abused her when she was 16 while she was at his New Mexico mansion in 1996.

Ghislaine Maxwell (right), the British socialite and heiress, was been arrested by the FBI accused of being sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein's 'pimp'

Ghislaine Maxwell (right), the British socialite and heiress, was been arrested by the FBI accused of being sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein's 'pimp'

Annie says that, having become her 'big sister' figure, Maxwell repeatedly asked if she wanted a massage. After finally giving in, she ended up lying on her back topless as Maxwell massaged her chest in an 'inappropriate' way. She sensed Epstein was nearby, watching, and says he later came into her bedroom and asked for a 'cuddle', before crawling into bed and sexually assaulting her.

Ms Farmer, who has described Maxwell as a 'sexual predator' who has 'never shown any remorse for her heinous crimes', has made clear she would never have got into such a position if Maxwell hadn't earned her trust.

The unidentified British accuser had previously alleged that Maxwell recruited her in London in 1994 to massage Epstein knowing that he'd force her to have sex. However, she was 17 at the time – above the UK's age of consent – prompting Maxwell's lawyers to challenge whether she can be considered a 'victim'. This matter remains unresolved.

Prosecutors have said they expect several other women to testify, providing supporting evidence.

Will they include Virginia Roberts, now Giuffre, who claims she was recruited by Maxwell and then sexually trafficked to Prince Andrew, an allegation he strenuously denies? While Maxwell has insisted she's a scapegoat, a 'substitute' for Epstein who committed suicide in his cell while awaiting trial in August 2019, her accusers beg to differ, in some cases saying that they regard her, a fellow woman who they had often regarded as a trusted friend, as even more despicable than Epstein. Although with Epstein dead, her trial will ultimately come down to her word against theirs, key questions remain – notably, how much mud will Maxwell try to sling at her accusers?

Who's who in court

The judge

Alison Nathan, a former associate White House counsel for President Barack Obama, sits as a district judge for the Southern District of New York. She is only the second openly gay federal judge in the US and is married to Meg Satterthwaite, a fellow professor at New York University's School of Law. They have twin sons.

The prosecutors

Maxwell is up against the formidable US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, with a team of prosecutors who have pulled off many groundbreaking and historic cases.

Maxwell's legal team:

She has revealed in court papers that she has set aside a hefty $7million (£5.2million) to pay for legal costs. Her team includes two battle-hardened attorneys from international law firm Cohen & Gresser. Christian Everdell is a former federal prosecutor who helped bring down Sinaloa drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, a feat for which he was given a True American Hero Award.

Cohen & Gresser's co-founder, Mark S Cohen, is another ex-federal prosecutor whose scalps include mob killer Thomas 'Tommy Karate' Pitera. They will be working alongside a pair of Denver-based lawyers: Jeffrey Pagliuca and Laura Menninger,

Pagliuca is an award-winning trial attorney, with more than 35 years of experience, while Menninger worked for Goldman Sachs as a financial analyst, before leaving to work as a public defender.

The team includes 'super lawyer' Bobbi Sternheim, who has defended terrorists including Minh Quang Pham, who was jailed for plotting to blow up Heathrow in 2016. Maxwell has also called on the rottweiler-like David Markus, a Miami lawyer who once got a doctor off 141 federal charges and won costs of over $600,000.

Maxwell revealed in court papers that she has set aside a hefty $7million (£5.2million) to pay for legal costs

Maxwell revealed in court papers that she has set aside a hefty $7million (£5.2million) to pay for legal costs

Jury selection

The process starts on Monday with the first face-to-face questioning by lawyers of some 60 potential jurors, who have been whittled down from an initial pool of 600. Maxwell has long complained she is now so notorious she can never have a fair trial

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