Ghislaine Maxwell's sex crimes trial in New York delayed until fall

A U.S. judge on Monday granted Ghislaine Maxwell's request to delay her trial on charges she procured teenage girls for the late financier Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse, and said the trial will begin in the fall.

U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan said a "short" postponement of the scheduled July 12 trial was appropriate because federal prosecutors added new charges to the case, and COVID-19 protocols made trial preparation harder.

Nathan ordered prosecutors and Maxwell's lawyers to propose by May 10 their "earliest possible" trial date. "No additional delay is necessary or in the interests of justice," she added.

Lawyers for Maxwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss in Manhattan declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ghislaine-maxwells-sex-crimes-trial-new-york-delayed-until-fall-2021-05-03/