Ghislaine Maxille’s second day in defense started off rocky Friday. One witness declined to answer a subpoena and another stated they would accept the fifth. A third said that they would not be called.

Maxwell also tried to get an English pub owner aged 81 to come over and support her cause at last minute.

Maxwell’s New York trial was held before Judge Alison Nathan. Nathan seemed annoyed that the issues were brought up at such a late hour.

Maxwell’s lawyers stated the previous night that they had planned to call Eva Kelly, Kelly, Michelle. But their plans were canceled before any jurors could be brought in. 

Ghislaine Maxwell's second day of defense got off to a rocky start Friday

The second day for Ghislaine Maxwell was rocky Friday 

Defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim

Defense attorney Laura Menninger

Maxwell’s lawyers Bobbi Sternheim (defense lawyer) and Laura Menninger (defense lawyer) were seen at court on Friday morning. Laura Menninger Maxwell’s lawyer stated that Maxwell’s life was at stake and that they had only one-and-a-half days to defend themselves.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Pagliuca

Defense attorney Christian Everdell

Jeffrey Pagliuca and Christian Everdell, Maxwell’s defence attorneys (left), are seen at court on Friday. Witnesses one and two refused to answer subpoenas, while another stated they would accept the fifth. A third witness said that they were not going to call.

Laura Menninger was Maxwell’s lawyer. She stated to the court, Kelly as the witness, had “refused” to reply to the subpoena they issued two and a half weeks back.

Kelly was asked by her to be forced to appear in court by the US Marshals, which is customary with witnesses who don’t respond to subpoenas.

Judge Nathan asked, “Why are I only now hearing it?”

Menninger said, “There has been much going on.” It’s hard work, your honor.

Judge Nathan stated to her that a non-responsive witness was not something minor.

Menninger said Maxwell’s “life is at risk” and gave them only one-and-a-half days to prepare their defense.

Judge Nathan indicated that defense might make an application to the US Marshals for involvement but that she is not likely to delay the trial.

Christian Everdell was another Maxwell’s lawyer and stated that they were going to contact the Nag’s Head owner in London. It is located across the street from Maxwell’s house.

Everdell stated that Maxwell was a friend of Maxwell’s and Maxwell, and that Maxwell could confirm that Maxwell didn’t reside there before Maxwell bought it in 1997.

Maxwell claims Kate the accuser, also known as Maxwell, is wrongly claiming that Maxwell lured her to her house in order to get rid of Kate. She wasn’t even living there when Maxwell claimed it.

Everdell stated that the issue was critical, but the pub owner couldn’t be present until Monday.

Kevin and Isabel Maxwell arrive for their sister's trial in Manhattan Federal court on Friday

Kevin and Isabel Maxwell arrived at Manhattan Federal Court on Friday to attend their sister’s trial. 

Epstein appears with his arm around Ghislaine as he takes a phone call in this evidence photo

Epstein holds Ghislaine’s arm and makes a telephone call. 

Prosecutor Maurene Comey stated that defense personnel had spent an ‘extraordinary amount’ of time preparing for the case, and it wasn’t appropriate to present a witness at this stage.

Judge Nathan was once again unimpressed, and she stated that it was not her intention to prolong the trial.

She stated that “if this case closes on Friday”, then it will close today.

One witness who planned to take fifth was also problematic. She would not comment on the proceedings if she was present.

Everdell informed the court that Everdell had written to the lawyer indicating that.

Judge Nathan recommended that both sides agree on a clause to keep the other person from turning up at court

Alexander Hamilton from Britain was scheduled to provide evidence via video link for Maxwell. He claimed that Kate, the accused in the Epstein trial had ‘fell into mine’.

Bobbi Sternheim, Maxwell’s attorney, stated that he wouldn’t be providing evidence anymore and blamed technical problems.

Jeffrey Epstein and Celina Midelfart at Mar-a-Lago in 1997

According to some claims, Epstein had been seeing Celina Middleelfart during the 1990s while he was also dating other women. 

Midelfart later dated former President Donald Trump and is allegedly the woman he dumped to be with his eventual third wife, Melania

Midelfart later fell in love with former President Donald Trump. She is believed to have been the one he left for Melania, his third wife.

With its first witness on Thursday, defense started. Cimberly Espinosa (55) worked as an executive assistant at Epstein’s Madison Avenue office from 1996 to 2002. Maxwell first asked her for her services in 1996.   

Espinosa, wearing a black jacket, top and trousers, described a parade of women visiting Epstein in his office, one of them being Celina Midelfart, a Norwegian heiress who also once dated Donald Trump

Espinosa claimed that Epstein had sent flowers to Midelfart in her early employment years, during which time she was still employed.

According to the court, Epstein also was at that time with Maxwell.

Christian Everdell, Maxwell’s lawyer for defense, asked him: “Did it give you the impression that there was a romance?” Referring to Epstein, Midelfart.

Espinosa said: ‘I felt like Jeffrey liked her…I felt they were a couple, they were together. “A couple.”

Everdell asked, “Did this occur during or after it seemed to you that Ghislaine had a romantic relationship?

Espinosa said: ‘It was at the very beginning of my employment…they could have been concurrent for a little bit of time’.

Everdell wanted to know if Maxwell was aware that Espinosa bought flowers for Midelfart.

Espinosa, Maxwell’s executive assistant, said that Espinosa did not.   

Taking the witness stand Thursday morning was Cimberly Espinosa, 55, who worked at Epstein's Madison Avenue office between 1996 and 2002, first as a legal assistant and then a month into her employment Maxwell asked her to be her executive assistant, a job she held until she left

Cimberly Espinosa (55) took the witness stand on Thursday morning. She worked in Epstein’s Madison Avenue office from 1996 to 2002 as a legal secretary and then, after a month, Maxwell requested her to be her executive advisor. A job she held until she quit.

She answered, “18-and-over” when asked about Epstein’s age. Young women.’ 

She said that she and her husband were together almost every day. 

Shelley Lewis was one of the women Espinosa met. Espinosa claimed that Lewis was English and Lewis was said to have been with Epstein between 1999-2002. Gwendolyn, another woman Espinosa mentioned was Gwendolyn.

Espinosa claimed Maxwell, who was 59 years old, was an extremely demanding boss, but that she learnt a lot about Maxwell. Espinosa stated that Ghislaine was someone she highly valued. I looked up to her greatly. 

Espinosa had previously described her belief that Epstein was ‘together with Maxwell’ at the time she met them.

Asked why she said it as the ‘way they interacted together, they were a little flirty…they behaved like a couple’.

Espinosa claimed that Maxwell was once a mate of Ted Waitt (computer millionaire) in the 2000s. Waitt was also with Espinosa when she applied for Waitt’s job. Waitt didn’t offer her it.

Everdell asked Espinosa questions about Jane. The accuser claims Maxwell and Epstein took Jane to their home at fourteen and she was repeatedly raped by him.

Espinosa stated that Jane thought she was 18 when she first met her. She also said she had visited Epstien’s office five times with her mother.

Espinosa claimed that Jane was Epstein’s goddaughter and was therefore treated with respect by her mother. The women working in the office were ‘considered Jane (Jane), family of Jeffrey’s.

These six charges are against Maxwell 

THE CHARGES

Conspire to lure minors to illegal sex acts (maximum sentence 5 years)  

 Incentive to minor to travel and engage in illegal sexual acts (20 years).

20 years of Conspiracy to Transport Minors With the Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity (20 Years)

Transport of minors with the intent to engage criminal sexual activity (minimum 10 years, maximum life)

A conspiracy to traffic in sex

Sex Trafficking in a Minor 

Ghislaine Maxwell also faces two charges of perjury but those counts are due to be tried after her sex crimes trial. 

She was accused of giving testimony in defamation proceedings in which she testified in 2016.  

FACTS 

Prosecutors allege that Maxwell groomed 3 girls in 1994 to 1997 for Epstein. 

Although they aren’t named in the indictment she did allegedly target them in London and New York.

Maxwell would, according to some reports, befriend the girls and ask them questions about their lives as well as their education. It is alleged that Maxwell would take the girls to movies, and then go shopping with them, putting them at ease. This trust was enough to allow her to deliver them to Epstein later.

In order to “normalize” the later abuse, she allegedly undressed herself in front of her girls and asked sexual questions. 

The prosecutors claim that she not only assisted Epstein, but also took part in some of the abuse. 

A group of sexualized massages is one example of the alleged sex abuse. 

According to the indictment, Maxwell also encouraged Maxwell to encourage Maxwell to spend money on Epstein to pay for her education.