Ghislaine Maxwell Jury Must Work New Year's If No Verdict
Newsy
Judge Alison Nathan informed the jury Wednesday of the expectation after they asked whether they had to work on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Jurors deliberating the fate of Ghislaine Maxwell at her sex trafficking trial were told Wednesday they would have to work through the New Year's holiday after they inquired about that possibility — the latest sign that a verdict was not near in the monthlong trial.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan cited an "astronomical spike" in the number of coronavirus cases in New York City as she explained to lawyers out of the jury's presence why she was asking jurors to work at least an extra hour each day and every day through the week.
Minutes after arriving to begin deliberations Wednesday, the jury sent the judge a note asking if they were also required to work on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, with the latter falling on a Saturday. Nathan sent them a note saying that they were, unless any of them faced a "substantial hardship" because of immovable commitments.
