Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted for her role in his criminal operation, is preparing to ask a federal judge to release her from the minimum-security prison camp where she is currently held in Texas.
According to a letter filed by her attorney, Maxwell intends to represent herself in the effort, as reported by Fox News.
Maxwell was moved earlier this year from Florida to Federal Prison Camp Bryan after agreeing to participate in an interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, notified Judge Paul Engelmayer on Wednesday that Maxwell plans to file a habeas corpus petition soon and will do so without counsel.
“Understanding that President Trump has signed the Epstein Transparency Act into law, Ms. Maxwell does not take a position regarding the government’s request to unseal the grand jury transcripts and modify the protective order,” Markus wrote.
He continued, “At the same time, Ms. Maxwell respectfully notes that shortly she will be filing a habeas petition pro se. Releasing the grand jury materials from her case, which contain untested and unproven allegations, would create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair retrial should Ms. Maxwell’s habeas petition succeed.”
Markus did not provide additional details explaining the basis for Maxwell’s upcoming petition.
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Legal experts note that habeas corpus petitions carry a high burden of proof and typically come only after other appeals have failed.
“It appears from the filing that Ms. Maxwell is attempting to shield herself from the materials that will be released pursuant to the president’s order regarding the Epstein materials to protect her appellate rights, specifically her anticipated habeas corpus petition,” said James Leonard Jr., a criminal defense attorney based in New Jersey.
Leonard added that the likelihood of success is low, particularly because Maxwell plans to pursue the petition without legal representation.
“Habeas motions are typically the final step in the appeals process, and they are seldom granted as the burden is extremely high on the defendant, and it appears that Ms. Maxwell is taking that step without a lawyer, which makes her being successful even more difficult,” he said.
In a separate filing, Sigrid McCawley, who represents Epstein victim Annie Farmer, wrote that her client supports the government’s efforts to unseal grand jury transcripts and other evidence in the case.
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