Supreme Court Delivers Bad News to Ghislaine Maxwell

Ghislaine Maxwell has struck out at the Supreme Court. On their first day of a new term, justices declined to consider an appeal from the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, reports USA Today. As is customary, the judges did not explain their decision, per the AP. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2021 for her role in facilitating Epstein's abuse of young women and teens.

Maxwell's legal team argued that she never should have been prosecuted because of a deal Epstein struck with prosecutors in Florida years ago. The decision essentially ends Maxwell's attempt to overturn her conviction, leaving her only chance of early release in the hands of President Trump, per the New York Times. Trump hasn't speculated about a possible commutation or pardon, though Maxwell has won favor with his administration: She was recently transferred to a minimum-security prison in Texas after she cooperated with the Justice Department in its Epstein investigation.