Judge Paul Engelmayer Rejects Ghislaine Maxwell's Bid To Vacate Conviction
The 67-page opinion, filed August 25, 2026 in Manhattan federal court, called Maxwell's habeas claims meritless and, in part, frivolous.
- Maxwell brought the challenge under Section 2255, the standard vehicle for attacking a federal conviction.
- Case No. 1:25-cv-10468 sought to overturn both her conviction and sentence in one filing.
- Engelmayer's ruling leaves her 2021 conviction and prison sentence for aiding Jeffrey Epstein intact.
Why it matters: Habeas corpus tests whether a trial was fair, not whether a guilty verdict feels wrong to the convicted.
SDNY Opinion & Order, Judge Paul Engelmayer, Maxwell v. United States, No. 1:25-cv-10468 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 25, 2026) ↗ · Aug 28, 20268/28/26