British socialite and girlfriend of New York financier Jeffery Epstein, on Monday, asked a judge to dismiss the case charging her with recruiting teenage girls, who were sexually abused to be on several grounds. Among the reasons cited was a deal made years ago not to prosecute Epstein and others should shield her from prosecution.
According to Maxwell's lawyers, the indictment against her was obtained unjustly and does not allege crimes specific enough to bring before a jury. There is an agreement seeking to protect Epstein and those around him, but, Maxwell was not identified by name in the document in which Epstein agreed to plead guilty to state charges in Florida that forced him to register as a sex offender afterwards. Another unusual argument cited to dismiss the charges was that the indictment was obtained from a grand jury seated outside New York City in White Plains, where the lawyers said Black and Hispanic grand jurors would have been under-represented
Maxwell's lawyers listed first among 12 separate arguments attacking the indictment that a non-prosecution deal Epstein reached with the federal government a dozen years ago should shield Maxwell from prosecution too, an AP report reads.
59-year-old Maxwell was arrested last July for recruiting teenage girls, including a 14-year-old between 1994 to 1997. Epstein would sexually abuse these girls or force them to perform sexual acts on 'clients' that included some wealthy and powerful men in American society. Maxwell has not pleaded guilty to the charges against her.
If Maxwell's lawyers aren't able to force the dismissal of charges against her, they would request for the number of charges made against her to be reduced. It is alleged that Maxwell sometimes joined in the abuse of the girls.
The Federal prosecutors are expected to file arguments in response in a few weeks.
Maxwell's trial is scheduled to take place in July.
