Jury selection begins in Ghislaine Maxwell trial

Jury selection began on Tuesday in the trial of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused of helping her close confidant and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein recruit and sexually abuse underage girls.

Judge Alison Nathan started questioning potential jurors one by one on Tuesday for roughly 10 to 15 minutes each, according to The Associated Press. She said on Monday that 231 potential jurors would be questioned to fill the spots.

Twelve people will ultimately be chosen to sit on the jury, in addition to six alternates.

Maxwell made an appearance in the courtroom on Tuesday, according to the AP. She was wearing a black suit and hugged her lawyers upon entrance.

Through her questioning, Nathan was looking to see if the potential jurors would be able to remain impartial while deliberating over the case involving Maxwell, the AP noted. Opening statements are set to begin on Nov. 29.

Maxwell faces a six-count indictment for allegedly helping Epstein facilitate a sex trafficking scheme. Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019 when he was awaiting trial for allegations of sex trafficking.

New York City’s medical examiner ruled that he died by suicide from hanging.

Maxwell has been held in a New York prison while awaiting trial. She has been denied bail a number of times.

The jury candidates on Tuesday sat in individual jury boxes while Nathan asked them questions from roughly three feet away.

Some of the prospective jurors said they had heard of Epstein but not Maxwell, while others said they had heard of both, according to the AP.

Updated on Nov. 28 at 3:59 p.m.