Jury says it has reached verdict in Ghislaine Maxwell trial

By TOM HAYS and LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The jury has reached a verdict in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite charged with recruiting and grooming teenage girls to be sexually abused by the financier Jeffrey Epstein. The verdict is expected to be announced shortly in the New York City courtroom where Maxwell has been on trial since late November. Deliberations began Dec. 20, halting after Wednesday for the Christmas holiday before resuming Monday. Prosecutors say Epstein could not have sexually abused girls as young as 14 without Maxwell serving as his “lady of the house.” Maxwell’s lawyers say she is innocent.