Ghislaine Maxwell’s new bail hearing: Discover what’s happening now
Your social media page might now be filled with the lingering question: what happened to Ghislaine Maxwell? Due to the scarcity of news on Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and alleged madam-in-chief, some have wondered if she’s even alive, or if she was actually arrested & detained.
Truth be told, Ghislaine Maxwell is accounted for in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, the same prison where NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere is currently serving his 12o-year sentence. And while we can say the former socialite & progeny of The Daily Mirror mogul Robert Maxwell is alive & well, she’s far from happy. For a second time now, Ghislaine Maxwell has been denied bail.
Wait, you say, a second time? Yes, this isn’t Ghislaine Maxwell’s first rodeo asking for bail. She was denied bail at her first preliminary hearing in July. Let’s take a look at why she was denied bail a second time, and why she asked for a second bail hearing in the first place.
Bail in the USA
After someone in the U.S. is arrested for a crime, the next step is arraignment or a preliminary hearing where bail is set. Bail is a sum of money the accused pays the courts to ensure they will show up for their court date. Conditions are also imposed as part of bail, such as wearing ankle monitors and avoiding contact with certain people.
People arrested in the U.S. who are denied or can’t afford bail are held in jail until at least their trial. Either they’re acquitted and go free, or they’re convicted or plead guilty and serve the sentence the court passes. Bail is determined by the severity of the crime and can be denied if the accused may pose a danger to the community – a common reason bail’s denied in murder cases – or if the accused poses a big flight risk.
For instance, if someone charged with federal crimes has a boatload of money and three passports, one for a country that won’t extradite them to the U.S. if they should flee – and is facing a lengthy prison term if convicted – there’s a pretty good chance the court will deny bail.
Bail Hearing #1
Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested on July 2 and transferred to the MDC. On July 14th, Ghislaine Maxwell’s first bail hearing took place. According to the official public indictment released by the DOJ, the charges against Maxwell include conspiracy to entice minors to engage in illegal sex acts, enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors to engage in illegal sex acts, and perjury.
Prosecutors argued Maxwell was a flight risk due to her citizenship abroad, particularly in France, a nation that won’t extradite its nationals to the U.S. The prosecution also cited personal & financial connections abroad that could enable her to flee the country.
The defense counter-argued that their client was willing to cooperate in the investigation. They even claimed Ghislaine Maxwell would’ve surrendered herself to authorities if asked. They asserted Maxwell was willing to stay and therefore not a flight risk, citing similar cases where bail was granted.
“Onerous conditions”
In the end, U.S. judge Alison Nathan sided with the prosecution, ruling the flight risk was so great, Maxwell would be denied bail. Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial was scheduled for July 2021, so Maxwell would have to sit behind bars for a year before hearing her fate. Maxwell pleaded not guilty and maintains her innocence, calling the accusations against her “a tissue of lies” according to court documents.
Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell’s being held in solitary confinement. Maxwell’s legal team has argued for her release into the general population, citing “onerous conditions” like random searches & constant check-ins from random guards.
The prosecution strongly disagreed with their assessment. In their second argument against Maxwell’s bail, they filed a brief with the court claiming Maxwell was receiving privileges other inmates could only dream of, including thirteen hours outside of her cell a day and access to a private shower, computers, and phones.
Bail hearing round 2
Now, Ghislaine Maxwell had a second bail hearing. Her first bail hearing, which set her bond at $5 million, was set for over $22 million this time. The funds were gathered from Maxwell’s friends & family as well as her secret husband, just now revealed to be technology entrepreneur Scott Borgerson.
She also planned to move into a private New York residence and hire private security guards to ensure she doesn’t escape – as well as ensure her safety from any would-be attackers. However, the prosecution emphatically asserted Maxwell’s prison conditions “set her far apart from general population inmates” and the new conditions didn’t reasonably outline any new information guaranteeing Maxwell wouldn’t be a flight risk.
Judge Alison Nathan agreed, again denying bail, emphatically stating the case “again concludes that no conditions of release can reasonably assure the defendant’s appearance at future proceedings.”
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Do you think Ghislaine Maxwell will try for a third bail hearing? Is this the end of Ghislaine Maxwell’s news for now, at least until her trial comes around next year? Let us know in the comments!
