Perhaps you have heard that a juror who joined in the conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s henchwoman when he was luring young women into his sex-trafficking hobby had thrown her trial into limbo after admitting that he made a teeny, weenie, innocent “mistake” during the crucial jury selection process. The man identified as “Juror 50” told a federal judge in Manhattan that he had read too quickly through a pretrial screening questionnaire that asked potential jurors whether they had ever been sexually abused. This would seem to be a rather important question for jurors about to fairly judge, bias-free, a woman accused of helping to turn young women into virtual sex slaves for a sick billionaire and his pals, wouldn’t you think? Juror 50—his friends call him “Fif”—-checked a box indicating “no.” Here he is in a high profile trial in which justice for dozens of Epstein’s young victims as well as the freedom of the defendant is at stake, and the guy picks this as a good time to start practicing his speed-reading.
“This was one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life,” Fifty told Judge Alison Nathan, during an hour-long hearing. “I didn’t lie in order to get on this jury.” That’s funny: it sure looks like he did. Thanks to 50’s ridiculous breach of responsibility, duty and competence, Maxwell, who was convicted on December 29 last year of sex-trafficking more, might walk free despite helping Epstein recruit, groom and sexually abuse underage girls for at least a decade. In deliberations.
Juror 50 revealed that during deliberations he told other jurors that he was a victim of childhood sexual abuse himself, and after the trial told the news media that he had helped other jurors understand things “from a victim’s point of view.” Now he claims that he made “an honest mistake.” It may have been honest, but it was neither ethical nor excusable. He’s tap-dancing as fast as he can because he falsely signed a document made under oath, and faces fines and imprisonment.
He should get both, just as Epstein’s co-monster deserves a new trial that doesn’t include a hidden sexual abuse activist on the jury.
Ethics Alarms 