https://ift.tt/2Y5V96z Maxwell’s lawyers demanded a new sex crimes trial Wednesday after a juror said he had helped convict the British socialite by telling fellow jury members about his experience of sexual abuse.
Maxwell’s attorneys told U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan that the comments by Scotty David, identified by his first and middle names, “presents incontrovertible grounds for a new trial.”
The juror, one of 12 who found Maxwell guilty last week of trafficking minors for late financier Jeffrey Epstein to abuse, has given several interviews about deliberations since the Dec. 29 verdict.
In them, the 35-year-old said he had helped sway panelists who were doubting the accounts of the two main accusers, “Jane” and “Carolyn.”
He said he had told them that he did not remember every single detail of the abuse he had received.
Maxwell’s attorney Christian Everdell said in a letter sent to Nathan that was filed in court Wednesday that his team believed “the law and facts are clearly on our side.”
“The defense respectfully requests that the court set a briefing schedule for this motion alone and defer setting a briefing schedule for any other post-trial motions,” he wrote.
Maxwell’s request came after New York prosecutors wrote to Nathan requesting an inquiry into whether Scotty David had disclosed that he was a sexual abuse victim during jury selection.