Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Jury signals verdict is not near

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein in a photo submitted in evidence by the Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Photo / AP

The jury deliberating the fate of Ghislaine Maxwell at her sex trafficking trial requested a whiteboard and different-coloured sticky notes on Monday (US time) as it signalled it had plenty of work to do after a long holiday weekend.

Jurors in Manhattan federal court also requested the transcripts of some trial testimony and the definition of "enticement". Judge Alison J. Nathan referred them to her legal instructions she read to them just before they began deliberations a week ago.

The British socialite is charged with recruiting and grooming teenagers as young as 14 to be sexually assaulted by financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Maxwell's lawyers say she was a US government scapegoat after Epstein killed himself in 2019 in a Manhattan federal jail cell while awaiting a sex trafficking trial.

Maxwell, who was behind bars for her 60th birthday on Saturday, was described as a central component to Epstein's plans by four women who testified they were sexually abused as teenagers by Epstein with help from Maxwell when she was his girlfriend and afterwards.

In this courtroom sketch, Ghislaine Maxwell (left) pulls down her mask to talk to one of her lawyers, Jeffrey Pagliuca, during Maxwell's sex trafficking trial on Monday. Illustration / AP

Maxwell's lawyers said the memories of her accusers were corrupted by the passage of time and the influence of lawyers steering them towards multimillion-dollar payouts from a fund set up to compensate Epstein victims.

The jury, which deliberated two full days last week, already has asked to review the testimony of the four women, along with former Epstein housekeeper Juan Patricio Alessi.

They have given little hint of their overall progress on six charges, including a sex trafficking count that carries a potential penalty of up to 40 years in prison.

On Monday, jurors asked for the transcript of testimony by "Matt", the pseudonym of a television actor who testified he is the ex-boyfriend of "Jane", the pseudonym of an actor who is one of the four accusers who testified against Maxwell.

The judge had ruled some witnesses in the trial could testify with only first names or pseudonyms to protect their privacy.

Matt, who lived with Jane from 2007 to 2014, testified that Jane initially described Epstein as a godfather who helped her family pay bills after her father's illness and death depleted their finances. She was 14 when she met Epstein.

He said she eventually told him the help Epstein provided "wasn't free", but did not provide any details about what happened.

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein in a photo submitted in evidence by the Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Photo / AP

When he was asked what her demeanour was like when he asked Jane questions about her encounters with Epstein, he testified she was "ashamed, embarrassed, horrified".

Matt said she also told him she felt more comfortable in her encounters with Epstein because there was a woman around.

Matt said he contacted Jane after Maxwell's July 2020 arrest and asked her if Maxwell was the woman she had referenced as making her feel more comfortable in her dealings with Epstein.

He testified she confirmed Maxwell was the woman.