The US Supreme Court has declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal of her sex-trafficking conviction, effectively ending her legal challenge. Maxwell, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking and related crimes.
Maxwell's lawyer, David Oscar Markus, expressed disappointment but vowed to continue pursuing other legal avenues. The decision leaves Maxwell as the only person convicted in connection with Epstein's sex-trafficking operation, despite calls for further accountability.
Maxwell's appeal argued she was protected by a 2008 non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and Florida prosecutors. However, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the agreement did not bind prosecutors in New York, upholding her conviction.
The Supreme Court's decision was issued without comment. It also offers a reprieve to President Donald Trump, who has faced scrutiny over his past ties to Epstein. Trump has suggested he could pardon Maxwell but has not yet done so.
