PLAYING THE VICTIM: Ghislaine Maxwell’s Defense Keeps ‘Spotlight’ on Epstein, Other Powerful Men; Odd: Maxwell Makes Her Own Drawings of the Court Sketch Artists During Trial; Victim Calls Maxwell ‘Engineer of Epstein’s Abuse’

By NBC News. The British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is the one accused of sex trafficking, but during the first five days of testimony in a New York City courtroom her lawyers have put her deceased boss, Jeffrey Epstein, and his famous friends on trial, legal experts say.

That strategy quickly became evident on the first day of the long-awaited trial when attorney Bobbi Sternheim, in her opening statement, dipped into the book of Genesis to defend Maxwell. . .

In fact, Maxwell’s defense team is subtly trying to portray her as Epstein’s first victim, the experts said. . .

“The defense has signaled its intention to make Epstein central to this trial,” Tuerkheimer said. “By portraying him as charismatic, well-connected, almost larger than life, her team may well be hoping to make Maxwell disappear into the background. Epstein’s star-studded life of fame and riches can grab the jury’s attention and focus, increasing the odds that Maxwell appears as a merely peripheral figure in the story.” (Read more from “PLAYING THE VICTIM: Ghislaine Maxwell’s Defense Keeps ‘Spotlight’ on Epstein, Other Powerful Men” HERE)

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Odd: Maxwell Makes Her Own Drawings of the Court Sketch Artists During Trial

By New York Post. Turns out Ghislaine Maxwell really is a sketch artist.

New York-based Illustrator Elizabeth Williams has 40 years of experience drawing people in court but says it was a first when Maxwell, on trial for sex-trafficking, started sketching her.

Williams was at Maxwell’s November pre-trial hearing when she said the British heiress, seated between her two lawyers, looked back at her and began staring while apparently drawing her, the Sun reported Friday. She did it a second time during jury selection.

Fellow illustrator Jane Rosenberg, who’s also at the Maxwell trial and was also drawn by Maxwell, created a picture of the weird encounter that went viral.

“It was like she didn’t think anyone would notice,” Williams said of the initial staring and drawing encounters. “She stared right at us, and it was definitely an odd moment. (Read more from “Odd: Maxwell Makes Her Own Drawings of the Court Sketch Artists During Trial” HERE)

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Victim Calls Maxwell ‘Engineer of Epstein’s Abuse’ as Trial Resumes Today

By The Independent UK. The trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite and former partner of Jeffrey Epstein, is set to resume today.

Ms Maxwell, 59, is accused of grooming teenage girls for abuse by the late convicted sex-offender and financier. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her. . .

One of the sexual abuse survivors, Sarah Ransome — who says she was repeatedly raped by Epstein over a nine-month period — described Ms Maxwell as a “very sick woman” who took pleasure in “humiliating” her victims. . .

Ms Ransome said: “Ghislaine enjoyed humiliating us. You could see the enjoyment in her face.” (Read more from “Victim Calls Maxwell ‘Engineer of Epstein’s Abuse’ as Trial Resumes Today” HERE)

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