Judge won’t bar public from Ghislaine Maxwell jury selection

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has rejected British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid to block the public and news media from jury selection in her New York City trial on charges she recruited teenage girls for financier Jeffrey Epstein to abuse sexually.

U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan said Thursday that the press and public would be allowed to view the selection proceedings next month via video feeds to an overflow courtroom and a courthouse press room.

She said two pool reporters would be let into the courtroom as she questions prospective jurors.

Nathan says she strove to balance the public’s right to access court proceedings with COVID-19 safety.

According to the Associated Press, the judge also rejected the defense team’s request to block the public from seeing the blank questionnaire that prospective jurors would be given, which is approximately 600 people.

Maxwell’s lawyer argued that the questionnaire being seen publically would lead to people lying their way into the jury process, the news outlet reported.

Jury selection is slated to begin on Nov. 4, and opening statements are set for Nov. 29.