Ghislaine Maxwell Pleads Not Guilty to New Sex Trafficking Charges
British Socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to new federal sex trafficking charges accusing her of helping the late Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse a fourth victim.
Ghilsane Maxwell appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Friday for the first time since her arrest last summer. During the brief hearing, she pleaded not guilty to a new sex trafficking conspiracy charge and an additional sex trafficking charge.
The charges have been included in an eight-count indictment that was unveiled on March 29.
The new charges allege she recruited and groomed a 14-year-old girl to engage in sex acts with Epstein.
Maxwell previously pleaded not guilty to charges she helped Epstein groom three other girls for him to sexually abuse. She also has pleaded not guilty to two perjury counts.
Epstein, 66, was found hanged in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019, one month after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell’s trial is scheduled for July 12, but her attorneys have asked for a delay in light of the new charges and more than 3 million pages of discovery that have been turned over.
The lawyers have also cast doubt on whether she can get a fair trial, saying she is being treated as a monster in the media due to the so-called “Epstein Effect.”
Maxwell faces up to 80 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
The judge has not said whether or not she will delay the trial.
Fort Worth Makes it a Crime to Watch Illegal Street Races, Stunting
The Fort Worth City Council has approved an ordinance that makes it a crime to gather to watch an illegal street race or stunts.
The ordinance makes it illegal for people to gather, watch, support or take pictures and videos of street racing or stunting in the city.
Violators of the ordinance face a fine of up to $500.
Texas already criminalizes illegal street racing through the offenses of racing on a highway and reckless driving, but no state statute prohibits spectators from watching an illegal street race.
Racing on a highway is generally a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a maximum $2,000 fine. Reckless driving is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and up to a $200 fine.
The Fort Worth Police Chief said the new ordinance will hopefully deter people from attending races in the first place, which will lead to fewer races.
The new ordinance was passed in response to a rash of deaths last year due to illegal street racing.
Fort Worth Police have reportedly fielded more than 2,500 calls over the past 17 months related to street racing or reckless driving stunts. Dallas also has a problem and established a street racing task force.
The Fort Worth Police Chief said the new ordinance will enable officers to track down and issue tickets to participants after the race. The department plans to identify spectators through social media posts and security cameras.
The new ordinance takes effect immediately.
Derek Chauvin Conviction: What Happens Next?
Jurors deliberated a little over 10 hours on Monday and Tuesday before finding Derek Chauvin guilty of all counts in George Floyd’s death.
The former Minneapolis police officer was convicted of second degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.
After the verdict, Chauvin – who has been out on a bail – was taken into custody. He will now await sentencing while in jail.
Chauvin is expected to be sentenced in the next eight weeks. His sentence will be decided solely by Judge Peter Cahill, the judge who presided over his trial, because Chavin waived his right to have a jury decide his sentence.
He could face up to 40-years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25-years for third-degree murder and up to 10 years for manslaughter.
Under Minnesota’s sentencing guidelines, the recommendation for a person with no criminal record is about 12. 5 years in prison for each murder charge and about 10 years for the manslaughter charge. Prosecutors are expected to ask for a tougher sentence, however.
Offenses and criminal penalties vary from state to state. In Texas, for example, Chauvin would have likely faced charges of murder, manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. A murder conviction in Texas carries a maximum life sentence.
As for the three other officers facing charges in Floyd’s death?
They are expected to be tried together this summer with aiding and abetting murder and aiding and abetting manslaughter.
