Ghislaine Maxwell’s Lawyers Appeal to U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn Sex Trafficking Conviction
NEW YORK, N.Y. — July 29, 2025 — Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is seeking to have her 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking and related charges overturned through an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Maxwell’s legal team argues that a 2007 non-prosecution agreement (NPA) between Epstein and federal prosecutors in Florida should have barred her 2021 prosecution in New York. The appeal, which has drawn significant attention amid renewed scrutiny of the Epstein case, remains pending as the Supreme Court is on summer recess until late September.
Maxwell, 63, was convicted in December 2021 on five counts, including sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to entice minors to engage in illegal sex acts, for her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s abuse between 1994 and 2004. Sentenced in June 2022 to 20 years in federal prison, Maxwell is currently incarcerated at FCI Tallahassee in Florida. Her lawyers, led by David Oscar Markus, contend that the Florida NPA’s co-conspirator clause, which promised not to prosecute Epstein’s associates, should have shielded her from charges in New York. The clause stated that “the United States” would not institute charges against potential co-conspirators, a promise Maxwell’s team argues was binding nationwide, not limited to Florida.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), in a July 14, 2025, brief, urged the Supreme Court to reject Maxwell’s appeal, arguing that the NPA was specific to the Southern District of Florida and did not bind other federal districts, such as New York, where Maxwell was prosecuted. The DOJ further stated that Maxwell was not explicitly named in the agreement and was, at most, an “incidental third-party beneficiary” with no standing to enforce it. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld her conviction in September 2024, rejecting her argument, prompting her Supreme Court petition filed in April 2025.
Maxwell’s attorneys also highlight a split among federal appeals courts on whether an NPA in one district binds prosecutors nationwide, framing the case as a critical issue for clarifying plea agreement enforceability. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed an amicus brief supporting Maxwell’s appeal, urging the court to resolve this legal inconsistency.
Recent developments have intensified public and political interest in the case. On July 25, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell for nine hours over two days, an unusual move for a high-ranking DOJ official. The interviews, shrouded in secrecy, reportedly aimed to explore Maxwell’s knowledge of others involved in Epstein’s activities. Maxwell was granted limited immunity for the discussions, meaning her statements cannot be used against her unless she lies. Victims’ advocates and former prosecutors have questioned the transparency and motives behind these meetings, with some suggesting they may be performative amid pressure from President Trump’s base to release more Epstein-related files.
Maxwell’s family and supporters, including her attorney Markus, have claimed she did not receive a fair trial, arguing she was scapegoated for Epstein’s crimes after his 2019 death in a Manhattan jail cell, ruled a suicide. They assert that the government broke its promise under the NPA, with Markus stating, “It’s especially unfair that Ghislaine Maxwell remains in prison based on a promise the U.S. government made and broke.” However, prosecutors have maintained that Maxwell engaged in a “significant pattern of dishonest conduct,” casting doubt on her credibility.
The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether to hear Maxwell’s appeal in late September or October 2025, with a potential ruling by June 2026 if granted. The outcome could set a precedent for how plea agreements are interpreted across federal jurisdictions. Meanwhile, Maxwell faces a separate perjury trial for allegedly lying under oath in a 2015 civil suit, though prosecutors have indicated these charges may be dropped if her current sentence stands.
For further details, visit www.supremecourt.gov or www.justice.gov for court filings and DOJ statements.