Ghislaine Maxwell Complains About 'Onerous' Body Scans

And other conditions she is subject to at the Metropolitan Detention Center
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 11, 2020 2:29 PM CDT
Ghislaine Maxwell Wants 'Onerous' Conditions Changed
In this July 2, 2020 file photo, Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein.   (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Jeffrey Epstein's death is making Ghislaine Maxwell's jail stay all the harder—or so claim her lawyers. In a Monday night court filing, they say Maxwell has been subject to "uniquely onerous conditions" while at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, and that it's clear such treatment "is a reaction to the circumstances surrounding the pretrial detention and death of Mr. Epstein." Among the specific grievances: that she has had numerous body scans performed on her since arriving in early July, that her cell is searched frequently throughout the day, and that "multiple prison guards, many of whom do not appear to be regular MDC personnel," observe her 24 hours a day and detail her activity, including her phone calls with her lawyers.

The one bit of ease she has experienced is an end to suicide watch, during which she was roused from her sleep every few hours at night, reports NBC News. The filing seeks her transfer out of solitary confinement and into the facility's general population, and it's not just so she can be more comfortable. Fox News reports her lawyers say the conditions she is subject to are infringing on her Sixth Amendment right to participate in her own defense, something she'd be able to do in a "meaningful" way once in gen pop. The Bureau of Prisons had no comment. Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to charges that she assisted Epstein in helping to recruit, groom, and sexually abuse minor girls. (Prosecutors say Maxwell has a secret spouse.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X