Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, was denied bail by a judge due to the severity of charges against her involving recruiting and grooming minors for abuse. The judge highlighted several factors, including her potential flight risk due to significant financial resources and foreign connections, that contributed to the decision. An alleged victim, Annie Farmer, spoke against Maxwell's bail, reinforcing the gravity of the charges, which include her alleged involvement in the sexual exploitation of minors.

Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti provided insights into the legal proceedings. He explained the challenges Maxwell's defense faces due to the strength of the prosecution's argument. The court had been convinced by evidence indicating Maxwell's attempts to evade capture and the risk she represented, which included using alias names and other methods. Mariotti noted that Maxwell's circumstances in custody and portrayal in the media are contributing factors to her legal struggles.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. accomplice [əˈkɑːmplɪs] - (noun) - A person who helps another in committing a crime. - Synonyms: (associate, collaborator, partner)

The words of the judge refusing bail this evening to Ghislaine Maxwell, the one-time girlfriend, an alleged accomplice of the sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

2. presumption [prɪˈzʌmpʃən] - (noun) - An idea that is taken to be true, and often used as the basis for other ideas, although it is not known for certain. - Synonyms: (assumption, supposition, hypothesis)

The legal presumption, Emily, in a case like this involving the sexual predation on a minor, alleged sexual predation on a minor, is that bail will be denied.

3. flight risk [flaɪt rɪsk] - (noun) - A term used to describe a person who is likely to flee the jurisdiction to avoid legal proceedings. - Synonyms: (runaway risk, escape risk, absconder risk)

And added to that, the government contended that there was an exceptional flight risk in this case.

4. predation [prɪˈdeɪʃən] - (noun) - The preying of one animal on others; metaphorically, it can refer to predatory behavior by people. - Synonyms: (attacking, victimization, plundering)

In a case like this involving the sexual predation on a minor.

5. surveillance [sərˈveɪləns] - (noun) - Close observation, especially of a suspected person. - Synonyms: (monitoring, observation, scrutiny)

The prosecutors in the case said that when the FBI went to the property, they saw Ghislaine Maxwell through the side windows of the door.

6. evade [ɪˈveɪd] - (verb) - Escape or avoid, especially by cleverness or trickery. - Synonyms: (avoid, elude, dodge)

Ghislaine Maxwell had wrapped her cell phone in tin foil in what they described as a mistaken attempt to evade detection by the government.

7. poignant [ˈpɔɪnjənt] - (adjective) - Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret. - Synonyms: (emotional, touching, moving)

... there was one very poignant moment when we heard from an alleged victim who also spoke.

8. indictment [ɪnˈdaɪtmənt] - (noun) - A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime. - Synonyms: (accusation, charge, allegation)

And the indictment only refers to three specific victims during a limited period of time.

9. paramount [ˈpærəˌmaʊnt] - (adjective) - More important than anything else; supreme. - Synonyms: (supreme, chief, principal)

So I think her safety, one way or the other, is going to be a paramount concern to her and her team.

10. plea bargain [pliː ˈbɑːrɡɪn] - (noun) - An agreement in a criminal case where a prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or with a recommendation for a lighter sentence. - Synonyms: (settlement, deal, negotiation)

This, the plea bargain system, how common that is in the US and what you would expect.

Ghislaine Maxwell denied bail in Epstein sex trafficking case - BBC Newsnight

The risks are simply too great. The words of the judge refusing bail this evening to Ghislane Maxwell, the one-time girlfriend, and alleged accomplice of the sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Ms. Maxwell pleaded not guilty at the hearing by video link on charges she helped recruit and groom minors as young as 14. She'll spend the next year in jail, facing trial on July 12 of 2021. Her lawyers had offered bail of up to 4 million pounds and argued that coronavirus could endanger her life behind bars. Tonight, the judge said that no combination could reasonably assure her presence in court if bail were granted.

Our U.S. correspondent David Grossman joins us from Washington. David, was this expected? Well, the legal presumption, Emily, in a case like this involving the sexual predation on a minor, alleged sexual predation on a minor, is that bail will be denied. And added to that, the government contended that there was an exceptional flight risk in this case. They gave new details about, they said that when she purchased the property in New Hampshire, where she was eventually arrested, she did it through a company and used the fake name of Jen Marshall to the real estate agents. Now, her legal team, Ghislaine Maxwell's legal team, said that was all about trying to evade press detection, public detection. But the government said, the prosecutors in the case said that when the FBI went to the property, they saw Ghislaine Maxwell through the side windows of the door. But she, instead of letting them in, fled to another room. And when they got in, having broken down the front door, they found that Ghislaine Maxwell had wrapped her cell phone in tin foil in what they described as a mistaken attempt to evade detection by the government, not by the press or the public.

Fascinating. We heard a lot of legal argument today during the bail hearing, but there was one very poignant moment when we heard from an alleged victim who also spoke. Yes, a lady named Annie Farmer, who gave her thoughts on whether Ghislaine Maxwell should be given bail or not. This is what she told the court via video link. Again, she said, I met Ghislaine Maxwell when I was 16 years old. She was a sexual predator who groomed and abused me and countless other children and young women. She went on, we may never know how many people were victimized by Ghislaine Maxwell, but those of us who survived implore this court to detain her until she is forced to stand trial and answer for her crimes. In the end, the judge agreed with that.

She said that although, of course, Ghislaine Maxwell had the absolute presumption of innocence at this case before she stands trial. She said the combination. This is Judge Alison Jay Nathan. In summing up, she said, the combination of the seriousness of the crimes, the potential length of the sentence, the strength of the government's case at this stage, the defendant's foreign connections and the defendant's substantial financial resources all create both the motive and the opportunity to flee.

What happens now? Well, things will move quite slowly. The government has until November to present all the evidence that they have to Ghislaine Maxwell's legal team in the process called disclosure. And then the trial date, as you said, is set for July 12 of next year. In the interim, we now know that Ghislaine Maxwell will be detained at the Metropolitan detention centre in Brooklyn, New York, in conditions that her legal team say amount to solitary confinement. And in a cell where she is unable to talk to her legal team because of Covid-19 she's unable to meet them in person, that is, and in which, because she is viewed as a suicide risk. The lights are kept on 24 hours a day.

David, thanks very much indeed. Well, joining us now from Chicago is the former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti. Did this decision surprise you, Renata? Well, a little bit. Often in cases like this, where you have someone who is well-financed, who's able to put up a lot of money in bail, you do have situations where there can be circumstances that are worked out for a bond. But here I have to give the prosecutors credit. They put a lot of work into building up their evidence. But ultimately, in the end, Miss Maxwell really hurt herself here through her own actions. As your correspondent mentioned, the wrapping of the cellphone and the tinfoil, the use of alias names and so forth really seemed to sway the judge.

A lot of people will be remembering the circumstances around Epstein's imprisonment. He died in prison or jail, as you say. Isn't there a real risk to Ghislaine Maxwell's safety in prison, a risk for her victims and those seeking justice? Yeah, there is a risk, I will say. When I prosecuted individuals who engage in the exploitation of children, they were usually concerned about their safety, even if they weren't famous, because sometimes they wouldn't fare so well in prison. And so I think for her, that has to be a concern. And I also will say, as somebody who now, after many years as a federal prosecutor, now represents people accused of crimes, all of my current clients are very worried about potentially being incarcerated during the pandemic. So I think her safety, one way or the other, is going to be a paramount concern to her and her team. And I think as a result, there's going to be more pressure on her to cooperate or reach a deal with prosecutors.

I'm going to ask you to talk us through a system which is obviously a bit alien to the UK audience. This, the plea bargain system, how common that is in the US and what you would expect. I mean, could she, for example, offer one big name from her little black book and do a deal on that? No, that's not how it works. So in the United States, first of all, plea bargains are very common. But a cooperation deal like you're talking about, what is required by prosecutors is that the individual tell them everything they know about all criminal activity, including criminal activity they were involved in, as well as other criminal activity they're aware of. So they really have to be an open book, so to speak. And then she can't pick or choose who she would cooperate against. She would have to agree to cooperate against anyone that the government asked her to cooperate against. And then in exchange for that, she would receive some amount of consideration from the government. But I think it would be very difficult for me to imagine a plea agreement with the government in which she did not plead guilty to a felony and be subject to a significant prison sentence.

We know she's pleaded not guilty today. She's charged in relation to three incidents. How strong do you think the actual case is against her? It's not as strong as what you would think watching press reports or documentaries because what we've seen publicly is a whole slew of victims, many different victims, accusing Ms. Maxwell. And the indictment only refers to three specific victims during a limited period of time. So it's much narrower than what we have all watched and seen on television and have read in newspapers and magazines. And so as a result of that, I think the jury is going to get a limited picture, and a lot is riding on the testimony of one particular victim who says that she was actually abused herself by Maxwell in addition to being abused by Epstein.

So I think the government's case is beatable for Maxwell, but I think now it's going to be hard for her because for potentially years, she's going to have to be incarcerated. And that is, in many ways, she's already going to be serving some punishment even before the trial happens.

Renato Mariotti, thank you. Thanks for joining us. Thank you.

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