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A Manhattan federal judge has agreed to grant the prosecution's request to give a Ghislaine Maxwell juror immunity to testify at a hearing Tuesday after he falsely answered a juror questionnaire, putting the British socialite's conviction in jeopardy.
Ghislaine Maxwell with Jeffrey Epstein in an undated evidence photo.
U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan issued the order late Monday after the Department of Justice signed off on the immunity deal.
The decision came after the juror's attorney Todd Spodek informed the court last week that his client would invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when he was called testify about failing to disclose that he was a victim of sexual abuse on the questionnaire.
The order will become effective if the juror pleads the Fifth, the filing states.
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Maxwell's convictions on sex trafficking and other charges hangs in the balance after the juror told reporters that he had been a victim of sexual abuse in post-verdict interviews contradicting statements he made on the juror questionnaire.
Sketch of Ghislaine Maxwell entering the courtroom escorted by U.S. Marshalls at the start of her trial, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams) (AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams)
The juror said that he had shared his experience with the panel during deliberations and described persuading some jurors that an imperfect recollection of the abuse did not mean it didn't happen.
Maxwell's defense lawyers have asked for a new trial, arguing that had the juror answered truthfully they could have struck him for cause.
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All potential jurors were asked on the lengthy questionnaire whether they or a family member had been a victim of sexual abuse.
The juror checked a box that read "No."
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in undated evidence photo. (SDNY)
Spodek previously wrote in a court filing that his client did not recall answering this question.
Maxwell was found guilty in December of recruiting and grooming teenage girls to be abused by Jeffrey Epstein. She has been locked up since her arrest.
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Epstein was found hanged in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on serious sex crimes charges.
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