In the trial, the defendant Ghislaine Maxwell is accused of having played a central role as an assistant in setting up a ring for the sexual abuse of minors.
The 59-year-old is charged on six counts, including trafficking minors for abuse purposes. If convicted on all counts, she faces 70 years in prison, according to CNN. Maxwell has always denied the allegations and refrained from making a statement during the trial. It is also unclear whether a decision will be made before Christmas.
The defense had presented the case from the start as a legal settlement with their client, since the public prosecutor could no longer prosecute Epstein itself. The 66-year-old was found unconscious in his prison cell while preparing for the abuse trial against him in August 2019 and was pronounced dead in the hospital. An autopsy report found suicide.
The trial against Maxwell, originally scheduled for six weeks, could end much earlier. After only three weeks and twelve days of trial with testimony, the closing arguments were presented for six hours on Monday. The jury then began deliberating for a few minutes. This was continued on Tuesday for a full day of meetings. According to CNN, the jury had interrogation protocols from three of the plaintiffs presented.
Initially, US media reported that the jury had until Wednesday for their talks in order to make a decision before the Christmas break. On Tuesday, however, Judge Alison Nathan said that a continuation on Thursday was also possible.