By Matthew Russell Lee, Author on Patreon Song Ruling
BBC - Decrypt - LightRead - Radio - Podcast
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Dec 17 -- Maxwell's defense began the third Friday of the trial pushing to keep their case open until Monday. They said they had a witness who would fly in from London, from the Nag's Head Pub no less, to testify about Ghislaine's ownership (versus residence) of a property there during the charged conspiracy.
Judge Nathan, who had canceled three trial days for her nomination hearing in DC, said to just stipulate to it. On another witness, Kelly, she asked why the defense had waited until so late to bring up the idea of the Marshals bringing her in. She said she had a rule: if a side did not have its next witness ready, they had to rest.
Readers online asked Kurt what it meant, to rest. Were Maxwell's lawyers lazy?
It didn't seem so. Kurt stopped and explained about the close of evidence, and the government's right to put on a rebuttal case. Then came the day's first witness, a former Palm Beach law enforcement officer named Jason Richards. He read from the notes he took, with Maxwell's lawyers emphasizing to the jury things he had not written down. They did the same with the second and last officer, Amanda Young.
Then came the defense's big witness, girlfriend of Jeffrey and wife of another hedge funder, Eva Andersson Dubin. Former doctor, mother of three, now with Alzheimer's, it seemed. She mentioned another former girlfriend of Jeffrey's, a Francis or Frances Jardine, and authenticated some of the still sealed flight logs.
Now came what the defense thought was the kill-shot. "Mrs Dubin," she was asked, "Did you ever engage in group sex with Jane?"
"No," Eva Andersson said. But then under cross examination she acknowledged that she has memory problems now, can't remember what happened last month. Next!
Next was another rosy picture of Epstein's Madison Avenue business, from Michelle Healy. But she was asked, Are you the only Michelle in the world?
I hope not, she answered, drawing the first laugh of the day from the jury. Would it be enough?
At the lunch break Kurt went out into Foley Square. For December it was a warm day, and he took off his jacket with its breaking-down zipper to live stream. He got dumping and a hot and sour soup on Henry Street because the line in Tasty Dumpling on Mulberry was too long. Here the two together were only four dollars, rather than the five on Mulberry. But the soup was not as hot, in either way.
Kurt raced back it but at first it seemed for nothing. The lawyers were buzzing around getting stipulations signed. Bobbi Sternheim leaned over Maxwell in her purple sweater. The moment of truth was coming.
Judge Nathan came in and before the jury entered asked, Ms Maxwell, have you considered your decision whether or not to testify?
Rather than a simple yes or no, or formal line through counsel, Maxwell said, clearly prepared, Your Honor, the government has not proved its case beyond a reasonable, so there is no need for me to testify.
Much was made of this, Kurt even making of it a headline. But it was only for that, for media. The jury never heard it. Would it be Maxwell's last public words?
Judge Nathan brought the jury in and they heard the stipulations, ranging from Annie Farmer's boots to Mike Wallace's birthday. Then she told them to come on Monday at 9 am and be prepared to stay to 6. They wanted to get through the closing arguments and rebuttal, and the legal charge that would be hammered out tomorrow, Saturday (the jury didn't hear this last).
Judge Nathan said she would finish her draft of the jury charge by six. But would it go into the docket? Kurt stayed waiting at the PACER terminal, using the time to tweet out a photo of YouTube's email to him denying even on appeal monetization of last Saturday's Maxwell song.
Some responses bashed Big Tech censors. Another said, Learn how to screenshot. A third said, don't give up your day job for music. Kurt wasn't planning to. #MaximumMaxwell.
Note: On October 29, 2021 and again on November 12 Ghislaine Maxwell and the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York filed a flurry of motions in limine, heavily redacted; the Government argued that trial exhibits are not public and will be withheld. Inner City Press opposed and opposes the continued secrecy.
Inner City Press will cover the trial, and all the comes before and after it; #CourtCaseCast and song I, Song 2, Song 3, fifth song and now Nov 27 song
The underlying case is US v. Maxwell, 20-cr-330 (Nathan).
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