Ghislaine Maxwell in court on Friday Dec. 17, 2021. (Jane Rosenberg) (Sketch by Jane Rosenberg)NEW YORK - A federal judge has sentenced former Jeffrey Epstein girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell to 20 years in prison.Some of Maxwell's relatives were in court when she learned her fate.
Three of her siblings sat directly behind her in the first row.Judge Alison J. Nathan overruled a series of objections by the defense team prior to handing down the sentence, according to reporters in the courtroom.The hearing was so long that they took a half-hour lunch break.After lunch, several victims gave impact statements about how their lives were affected.The government had asked for a sentence of 30-55 years in prison.
A sentencing memorandum by federal prosecutors asked the judge in her sexual abuse case to sentence her to the maximum punishment allowed under the guidelines due to her years-long participation in the extensive child sexual exploitation scheme.Lawyers for Maxwell, 60, had asked the judge for leniency, among other things, citing the conditions that she has lived inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City.Ghislaine Maxwell courtroom sketch artist's clear view of case"It is unsurprising that a woman who had led a life of incredible luxury should complain about her life as a prisoner, but that fact does not come close to meriting leniency at sentencing, much less the extraordinary degree of leniency the defendant seeks," the government wrote.Prosecutors previously said that Ghislaine Maxwell has shown no remorse and not even hinted at any acceptance of responsibility for her role in the abuse.In addressing the judge on Tuesday, Maxwell said that it was hard for her to talk to the court after hearing the.