Defense Rests in Ghislaine Maxwell Trial

Ms. Maxwell chose not to testify, and her lawyers called a handful of witnesses whose testimony sought to poke holes in the accounts of her accusers.

On Friday afternoon, near the end of the 12th day of Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial, the judge overseeing the case had a question for Ms. Maxwell: Did she plan to take the witness stand?

Ms. Maxwell stood next to one of her lawyers, Bobbi C. Sternheim, whose arm was curled around Ms. Maxwell’s lower back as she spoke.

“The government has not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Ms. Maxwell said. “And so, there is no reason for me to testify.”