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   From: drooler@gmail.com   
      
   Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and longtime associate of the   
   convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was found guilty on Wednesday of   
   five charges in her high-profile sex-trafficking trial.   
      
   Maxwell was convicted on three conspiracy charges, on a separate sex-   
   trafficking count, and of transporting a minor to engage in illegal sexual   
   activity. The charges face a potential sentence of 65 years.   
      
   The verdict came almost a year and a half after Maxwell, 60, was arrested   
   and accused of arranging and participating in the sexual abuse of girls.   
   In light of the conviction, she has two paths forward, and neither one may   
   keep her from spending significant time behind bars.   
      
   "Maxwell truly has two options: She can fight this case and take it up on   
   appeal, where she will likely face a 65-year sentence, or she can start   
   issuing some names of who else was involved for a substantially lighter   
   sentence," said Matthew Barhoma, a criminal-appeals lawyer in Los Angeles.   
      
   Maxwell's family said they planned to appeal   
   In a statement on Wednesday night, Maxwell's family said they planned to   
   appeal the decision.   
      
   "We firmly believe in Ghislaine's innocence. Obviously, we are very   
   disappointed with the verdict. We have already started working on the   
   appeal and we are confident that she will be vindicated," Bobbi C.   
   Sternheim, one of Maxwell's attorneys, told reporters outside the   
   courthouse in Manhattan.   
      
   Neama Rahmani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers and a former   
   federal prosecutor, told Insider that he didn't believe Maxwell had a   
   legal basis to appeal, but that he expected she would anyway.   
      
   "She's going to appeal because otherwise, she's going to die in federal   
   prison," Rahmani said. He added that he believed the prosecution's case   
   against Maxwell was strong.   
      
   Barhoma agreed, but said he thought Maxwell could have some strong claims   
   in an appeals process.   
      
   For example, one of the four women who testified that they were sexually   
   abused was over the legal age of consent at the time of the incident,   
   which prompted the judge to instruct jurors not to convict based on her   
   testimony. But she was still allowed to testify as a witness, and Barhoma   
   said it could be argued in appeals that she improperly influenced the   
   jury.   
      
   He also said it could be argued that some of the evidence was "dated or   
   stale" since some of the accusations concern incidents from decades ago.   
      
   Even if Maxwell had some success in the appeals process and the case was   
   retried, prosecutors would still likely get a conviction, based on the   
   strength of their case and the other accusers' testimonies, Barhoma said.   
   It was extremely unlikely, he said, that the conviction would be thrown   
   out entirely.   
      
   Many famous and powerful people have been linked to Epstein in one way or   
   another, including former presidents, princes, and wealthy businessmen.   
      
   "The most interesting part is what everyone wants to know: Is she going to   
   cooperate?" Rahmani said. "Is she going to name names, or does she just   
   appeal and remain silent?"   
      
   Thus far, Maxwell has given the impression that she's not interested in   
   cooperating in the investigation surrounding Epstein, but that may change   
   in light of her conviction.   
      
   "You don't want to be a snitch, you don't want to start pointing the   
   finger, but now you're a convicted felon, and you're looking at decades in   
   federal prison," Rahmani said. "Do you try to save yourself?"   
      
   If Maxwell cooperates, her deal with prosecutors may ultimately depend on   
   the extent of her help, including whether she's willing to testify against   
   others or whether her cooperation results in others being convicted.   
      
   Regardless, there are likely minimum sentences that would have to be met.   
   Also working against Maxwell is the fact that Epstein died by suicide in   
   2019 while awaiting sex-trafficking charges, which makes her the central   
   figure in the investigation.   
      
   Rahmani said given that Epstein was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking   
   charges when he died (though he pleaded guilty in 2007 to solicitation of   
   prostitution and procurement of minors for prostitution), prosecutors   
   would have to be "really sensitive" about giving Maxwell a break in   
   exchange for her cooperation — even if it proved highly valuable.   
      
   "It's really a fine line you gotta walk. You obviously want the   
   information. You want to encourage her to testify. You want to prosecute   
   other people that were actually involved in the sex abuse," he said. "But   
   you don't want to give Maxwell a free pass, because she was instrumental   
   to the abuse."   
      
      
   https://www.insider.com/ghislaine-maxwell-could-cooperate-or-appeal-after-   
   guilty-verdict-2021-12.   
      
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