The Supreme Court of the United States on Monday delivered a definitive blow to Ghislaine Maxwell’s efforts to overturn her conviction, declining to hear the imprisoned socialite’s appeal. The decision, issued without comment on the first day of the new term, ensures that Maxwell’s 20-year sentence for her role in facilitating the sexual abuse committed by Jeffrey Epstein will remain intact.
The ruling marks the end of Maxwell’s federal court battle, leaving a presidential clemency as her only remaining avenue for an early release.
The Heart of the Appeal: Epstein’s Controversial Deal
Maxwell’s appeal centered on a long-disputed 2007 non-prosecution agreement (NPA) that the late financier Jeffrey Epstein had reached with federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida.
Her legal team argued that a co-conspirators clause within that NPA, which stated the “United States” would not institute criminal charges against Epstein’s “potential co-conspirators,” should have shielded her from prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan years later. They contended that the use of “the United States” meant the deal was binding on all federal prosecutors nationwide, without geographic limitation.
However, lower courts and the Justice Department strongly rejected this interpretation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit had previously ruled that the non-prosecution agreement only bound the Florida office that signed it and did not preclude the New York prosecutors from bringing charges against Maxwell. The Justice Department, which had urged the Supreme Court to deny the appeal, maintained that the 2007 deal was strictly local, and that federal policy at the time required written approval to bind other U.S. Attorney’s offices—an approval that was never obtained.
A Door Closes on Legal Recourse
The Supreme Court’s denial of the petition for a writ of certiorari leaves Maxwell, 63, as the only person convicted in connection with Epstein’s long-running sex-trafficking operation.
In a statement, David Oscar Markus, an attorney for Maxwell, expressed profound disappointment. “We’re, of course, deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s case,” Markus said. “But this fight isn’t over. Serious legal and factual issues remain, and we will continue to pursue every avenue available to ensure that justice is done.”
For victims’ advocates, the court’s decision was a welcome confirmation of justice. Lauren Hersh, national director of World Without Exploitation, commented, “We are obviously happy to see the denial of Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal… jurors spoke loud and clear about how, for decades, Maxwell caused such devastating harm to so many women and girls.”
The denial comes as the case continues to generate political friction, with the Trump administration having faced ongoing scrutiny over its handling of the Epstein investigation and refusal to release further investigative files. The ruling effectively concludes the legal battle surrounding the non-prosecution agreement, solidifying Maxwell’s 2021 conviction for sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy.