Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell denied bail

A federal judge denied bail on Tuesday to Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and confidant of multimillionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling her a significant flight risk.

CNN reported that U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan told defense attorneys that no pretrial release conditions would satisfy the concerns the court had about Maxwell’s ability or willingness to stand trial.

“The court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that no combination could reasonably assure her presence in court,” said Nathan, adding, “The risks are simply too great.”

Maxwell was arrested in early July on charges that she recruited and groomed young girls to be sexually trafficked by Epstein, who died in federal custody last year while awaiting his own trial on sex trafficking charges. She was arrested after months in hiding following her discovery at a New Hampshire home.

During Tuesday’s hearing, her first court appearance since the July 2 arrest, Maxwell also reportedly suggested through her attorneys that she be allowed to stay in a Manhattan hotel while awaiting trial, a request that was rejected.

“See? The rich make the case for prison abolition *for themselves* all the time (and often get it), incl for systemic violence, yet are never deemed ‘radical,'” tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in response. “It’s only ‘radical left’ when we ask our legal system to treat normal people 1/10000th of the way it treats the wealthy.”

See? The rich make the case for prison abolition *for themselves* all the time (and often get it), incl for systemic violence, yet are never deemed “radical.”

It’s only “radical left” when we ask our legal system to treat normal people 1/10000th of the way it treats the wealthy. https://t.co/4NiTaAJN9W

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 14, 2020