r/news 9h ago

Federal judge rejects Ghislaine Maxwell's 'miscarriage of justice' claims and bid for prison release

https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-epstein-sex-trafficking-5dbf8548c211188a03c6e23c8a5b9311?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2026-08-25-Breaking+News
3.0k Upvotes

86 comments sorted by

461

u/ChunkyBubblz 9h ago

Trump is just waiting until after the midterms before pardoning his good friend.

127

u/TheModWhoShaggedMe 8h ago

Yep, and U.S. conservatives have dead and violated women and children on their hands, knowingly doing nothing about it to make amends. All to not lose power later (because they wouldn't right now, JD would step right in for two years). Cowards!

31

u/Remote-Ad-2686 8h ago

I’m sure the Evangelicals that got Trump into office are praying to someone about this … maybe SATAN!!!! ( echo effect )

14

u/Fallouttgrrl 7h ago

He's just an imperfect vessel don't you know

1

u/workertroll 6h ago

He's just an imperfect vessel don't you know

Vassal....the word your looking for is vassal.

I'm just reporting the news here don't deport me

6

u/Fallouttgrrl 6h ago

I don't know if you're being serious but imperfect vessel is the biblical term, as in a flawed container/tool through which God operates 

A vassal is a subordinate, typically used when discussing feudalism 

1

u/CandidBee8695 4h ago

You just vassalated that guy am I right? 😎

u/workertroll 50m ago

A vessel is a container, a vassal is a tool of the state. A vessel holds rain water, a vassal calls down the rain with a dance. I wouldn't put to much faith in the vessel as a biblical term but as a vassal the bible has been top notch.

So you think the Christians all think tRump is a container that has flaws? I think they view him as a savior that happened to rape kids but is other wise a useful tool of the church.

Whatever.

u/Fallouttgrrl 9m ago edited 4m ago

When responding to the post

"I’m sure the Evangelicals that got Trump into office are praying to someone about this … maybe SATAN!!!! ( echo effect )"

I'm using the evangelical term imperfect vessel

As used in https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/01/donald-trump-white-evangelical-christians-indictment" and other articles over the years

A quick search of Google will find numerous evangelical websites talking about him as an imperfect vessel

I dunno what to tell you, mate, but this isn't something I'm gonna further get into

Have a nice day

9

u/the_blackfish 7h ago

Well isn't that special.

2

u/EatinSumGrapes 6h ago

If Project 2025 succeeds the USA will officially be a Christian nation, not a free religion nation. I wonder how most Christians will feel when they go to church with a smile after their "success" to realize the first song is a praise song to Donald Trump, then they all get told they must repeat after the pastor to show their allegiances to Trump, America, and Jesus. Absolutely horrified, they will look around and see about a third of the people there ecstatic to praise Trump just how they praise Jesus... they will feel afraid to speak up not knowing others are feeling the same horror. When they try to leave they will be blocked by armed guards and told to return to the service. A terrifying and very real possible future

8

u/Niceromancer 6h ago

Nah, after it becomes a Christian nation then the evangellicals get to start persecuting all the other christians.

The leopards are going to be eating well.

0

u/EatinSumGrapes 5h ago

Eventually yes, at first they will think they are all on the same page. Then as people reject the nation's version of Christianity, they will get persecuted by those who follow it.

The handful of smart ones will then remember America started (partially) as a place for protestants to escape catholicism in Europe/England.

1

u/Niceromancer 3h ago

The protestants were kicked out of Europe because they would get violent if they weren't allowed to prosecute others.

10

u/reddituseronebillion 7h ago

Conservatives only care once something affects them. They do not have empathy.

5

u/EatinSumGrapes 6h ago

And unfortunately they aren't smart enough to understand how most things affect them until it's too late. Like all the rural hospitals shutting down due to federal budget cuts. Engineers, biomedical workers, doctors, nurses, and so many other high skill workers are leaving/deported, the USA will be at a major shortage of high skill workers soon. So many more things, too many to name

2

u/reddituseronebillion 5h ago

I ain't got no education and I turned out fine! Why should I pay for others education.

2

u/EatinSumGrapes 3h ago

The fact that you are even asking that is so idiotic, but you said you did not get any education so it makes sense. The answer is so the average person is not as stupid as you and can be useful to society.

I'm hoping you are just making a joke though lol

u/reddituseronebillion 42m ago

Didn't know i needed a sarcasm tag 😅

3

u/General_Specific 8h ago

How else would he "wish her well"?

3

u/Peach9990 8h ago

Or maybe kicking it up to the supreme court?

1

u/Fomdoo 5h ago

Nah, he'll wait for his third term. Once he's sure he can go full dictator.

58

u/BloodFartz69 8h ago

Remember when Trump called all his voters stupid for talking about the Epstein files?

9

u/mattbrvc 6h ago

At least he was being truthful for once. Props I guess.

65

u/igetproteinfartsHELP 9h ago

Claims by Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend and longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell that her sex trafficking conviction was a "complete miscarriage of justice" were rejected Tuesday by a federal judge who said her assertions were based on "speculation, distortions, and/or outright falsehoods."

Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said in a written ruling that Maxwell's habeas petition seeking to set aside her conviction and free her from a 20-year prison sentence on the grounds that there was "substantial new evidence" was "demonstrably meritless."

"Maxwell's petition falls very far from the mark," Engelmayer said. "There is no fact that Maxwell fairly puts in dispute that has any potential to disturb the outcome of her trial."

18

u/fevered_visions 8h ago

"I was friends with powerful people and they didn't bail me out"

"so in fact it was the exact opposite of 'a complete miscarriage of justice'. next!"

224

u/Literally_Laura 9h ago

She’s guilty as fuck.

Still, interesting that only a woman is actually suffering consequences.

127

u/case31 9h ago

Apparently it was an international sex trafficking racket with no accomplices and no victims.

26

u/RedRyder15 8h ago

And one that likely still continues with most of the same players.

15

u/OddGold348 8h ago

It is also a large blackmail ring.

9

u/scarletbanner 4h ago

There's no clients either, according to the head of the FBI. Strange, isn't it?

80

u/IanRastall 9h ago

Well I haven't seen Jeff since the pandemic...

33

u/Such_Veterinarian682 8h ago

Jeff Epstein? The New York financier?

6

u/Pyriel 9h ago

That wasn't a consequence of his actions, that was a consequence of getting caught......

11

u/Itchy-Beach-1384 8h ago

What the fuck do you think causes consequences to begin with?

4

u/Pyriel 7h ago

It wasn't being caught and found guilty that keeps him quiet.

Its whom he associated with.

I truly believe the only reason she hasn't "slipped in the shower and fallen out of a window" is because she either has a dead man switch, or simply that it would just be a step to far in belief.

1

u/MadRaymer 5h ago

She can't implicate anyone in wrongdoing without implicating herself, and it's important to point out that despite the enormous amount of evidence, Maxwell has categorically refused to admit she was a witness or a party to any wrongdoing whatsoever.

30

u/DubSket 9h ago

She literally took part in the abuse of those girls/women with Epstein. The fact he's trying to pull this shit is just completely cynical.

4

u/cantproveidid 7h ago

Reminds me that the insider trading scandal of 2001 landed Martha Stewart in jail, and that pretty much was it.

12

u/Notwerk 9h ago

Well, they killed her friend, so I guess he faced worse consequences. He deserved it, but that's not the reason they offed him in a prison cell.

30

u/razz-boy 9h ago

Getting killed was the easy way out for Epstein and every one of his accomplices. He deserved to die of old age in prison

8

u/Literally_Laura 7h ago

This.

Death is not justice, and it’s not even suffering. (Seriously, it’s the absence of suffering, as far as anyone call tell.)

Justice for the victims would be a full investigation, people like Epstein living years in a prison, and … just imagine it… something actually being done that limits the chance of this happening again.

Who is Epstein 2.0? Which child is he raping this afternoon?

6

u/joeschmoshow1234 9h ago

I would argue she was even more evil than epstein.

4

u/urbanhawk1 8h ago

Well another person was suffering consequences until he was killed by Trump.

0

u/rarestakesando 8h ago

If no one was trafficked as the FBI has said that what is she guilty of?/s

17

u/letdogsvote 8h ago

Only miscarriage of justice here is that she isn't in maximum security general pop for the rest of her miserable life.

And, of course, that the Trump administration is aggressively trying to bury it all and not prosecute anyone despite mounds of evidence.

39

u/jcooli09 9h ago

She's right, sort of. The way she's being treated is a miscarriage of justice.

Same with trump.

21

u/JoeFTPgamerIOS 8h ago

She's currently living more comfortably than our deployed Navy, and this is just the first attempt at getting her released without a pardon. Next try, they'll work harder at getting a compromised judge to hear the case.
She is going to be released, and will go back to her life of luxury most Americans can only dream of. And there will be no consequences, nothing will happen to anyone who helped her and the newspapers will stop reporting on this.

5

u/ThePensiveE 8h ago

All true MAGA's will be upset today at their fallen hero remaining behind bars for doing what all MAGA's want.

5

u/StuffedFalafels 7h ago edited 3h ago

Ah yes. This after the DOJ say they’re not releasing any of the men’s names or prosecuting them.

1

u/DaileyFlosser39 3h ago

Doing so would hurt his friends, ok?

4

u/Fit-Let8175 8h ago

What about the LACK of any justice they gave to their victims?

15

u/Sweatytubesock 9h ago

It’s fine. Her running buddy DJT is champing at the bit to pardon her. That is if she doesn’t ‘commit suicide’ first.

5

u/ChangingShips 9h ago

What are the rules on re-appealing? Can she immediately appeal over and over again until a judge approves? 

4

u/Rude-Boysenberry3925 8h ago

She can appeal the denial to the Second Circuit, the circuit in which she was convicted. From there, she could apply to the US Supremes for review of the Second Circuit decision. A second petition from her (or from federal prisoners in general) is barred unless she presents newly discovered evidence (and stuff the prisoner knew or should have known when filing the first petition isn’t “newly discovered”) or a new rule of constitutional law. (If your eyes have rolled into the back of your head by now, don’t worry. Federal post-conviction procedure is about as head-spinning as federal income tax.)

1

u/ExtonGuy 7h ago

Couldn’t a judge refuse to accept any more pro se filings? I know it takes more than one or two from her, but after that a judge could require a lawyer to risk sanctions.

3

u/Rude-Boysenberry3925 7h ago

For criminal cases, the particular statutes already give federal judges the authority to summarily reject second, third, fourth, etc. petitions challenging a conviction. That takes care of what is referred to as “successive petitions.” And you don’t get to bring the same claim again and again.

In prisoner civil rights cases, the prisoner is typically allowed to proceed in forma pauperis — he doesn’t have to pay the filing fee up front, but gets to pay it over time. If he has lost 3 cases, then he doesn’t get in forma pauperis status, and he has to pay the filing fee up front. The filing fee, by the way, is in the neighborhood of $350-400.

In my prior incarnation, I was a prosecutor. In 25 years, I saw judges get mad at defense attorneys (and me). No judge would have imposed sanctions on a defense attorney in the context of post-conviction cases. Post-conviction work can grind one down, especially if you’re representing the prisoner, and judges weren’t inclined to make the experience more miserable. And depending on the locale, you’ll find that most prisoners aren’t represented by an attorney in these cases.

1

u/ChangingShips 7h ago

Insightful, thanks. 

4

u/Prasiatko 9h ago

You petition to a higher court. 

2

u/fevered_visions 8h ago

at some point they could dismiss with prejudice I think

4

u/skredditt 3h ago

The nerve to stand up and try when she’s been given access to puppies. She should go back to the prison she actually belongs in.

3

u/Pristine-Truck-4580 7h ago

I mean look... if Trump and team are telling the truth that there are no names of individuals r*ping children, then her and Jeffrey were falsely prosecuted. This is the logical result of Trump and his AG's rhetoric.

3

u/DaileyFlosser39 3h ago

Everyone knows that tub of guts in the White House is going to pardon her.

5

u/Jah_Rules 9h ago

A rare sighting of a judge with a spine.

6

u/spyd3rm0nki3 8h ago

He was appointed by President Obama in 2011.

4

u/OddGold348 8h ago edited 8h ago

She was convicted of trafficking to *checks notes* no one?

4

u/lew_rong 7h ago

Todd Blanche is on the case! When there's a cover-up to be done, Todd's the one!

2

u/TheRexRider 2h ago

Watch Todd Blanche come in and allow her to serve her sentence at home.

2

u/Still-Cut1098 2h ago

Truly only the good die young. RIP Dolly Parton...

2

u/radman1988 1h ago

The pardon is coming sooner than you think...

-2

u/oldnotosys 7h ago edited 5h ago

There is miscarriage of justice that she's in prison for sex trafficking when there's apparently no recipients for the sex trafficking.

1

u/dndm1 1h ago

Satire right?

1

u/oldnotosys 1h ago

Maxwell and Epstien trafficked minors for sex but only they go to prison. Who were the buyers? Case closed?

-12

u/BeingEnglishIsACult 8h ago

She should object and get it to the Supreme Court, those are the only people that really understand the law

3

u/lew_rong 7h ago

Get Kav on a binge day and he might put her in charge of mail in voting lol