Maxwell lawyers: Accusers might misuse criminal evidence
Associated PressNEW YORK — Lawyers for Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend asked a judge Monday to stop her accusers from using evidence in the criminal case to boost civil lawsuits by posting materials to the internet. The lawyers say attorneys for women who claim Ghislaine Maxwell recruited and abused them should be subject to the same secrecy rules as prosecutors and Maxwell’s defense lawyers. The proposed order, submitted to a judge Monday, would prevent prosecutors and Maxwell’s lawyers from releasing any information to the internet or elsewhere, including “nude, partially-nude, or otherwise sexualized images, videos, or other depictions of individuals.” The joint protective order is routine in sex abuse cases. Maxwell’s lawyers cited current civil litigation between Maxwell and “many of the government’s potential witnesses,” saying numerous potential witnesses and their lawyers have already publicly commented about the case.