What is document EFTA00018578?

This is a certification filed on August 10, 2020 by Ghislaine Maxwell's defense attorney Christian R. Everdell pursuant to Local Criminal Rule 16.1. The document certifies that the defense and prosecution met to discuss disclosure of victim identities but could not reach agreement.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document names Ghislaine Maxwell as defendant, Christian R. Everdell as her attorney from Cohen & Gresser LLP, and references 'Victims 1-3' whose identities were redacted in the indictment. The prosecutors' names are also redacted in this version.

What does this document reveal?

It reveals that Maxwell's defense team sought early access to victim identities, but prosecutors declined to disclose them ahead of the standard pretrial discovery process. This shows the defense's strategy of trying to learn about accusers as early as possible in the case.

Who was Christian Everdell?

Christian R. Everdell was a partner at Cohen & Gresser LLP who served as defense counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell. Before joining the firm in 2017, he spent nearly a decade as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, where he helped convict drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. He later also represented Sam Bankman-Fried.

What is the Jencks Act mentioned in the document?

The Jencks Act (18 U.S.C. § 3500) requires the government to produce statements made by prosecution witnesses after those witnesses testify at trial. Prosecutors indicated victim identities would be disclosed through this process closer to trial rather than during early discovery.

What is document EFTA00018578?

This is a certification filed on August 10, 2020 by Ghislaine Maxwell's defense attorney Christian R. Everdell pursuant to Local Criminal Rule 16.1. The document certifies that the defense and prosecution met to discuss disclosure of victim identities but could not reach agreement.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document names Ghislaine Maxwell as defendant, Christian R. Everdell as her attorney from Cohen & Gresser LLP, and references 'Victims 1-3' whose identities were redacted in the indictment. The prosecutors' names are also redacted in this version.

What does this document reveal?

It reveals that Maxwell's defense team sought early access to victim identities, but prosecutors declined to disclose them ahead of the standard pretrial discovery process. This shows the defense's strategy of trying to learn about accusers as early as possible in the case.

Who was Christian Everdell?

Christian R. Everdell was a partner at Cohen & Gresser LLP who served as defense counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell. Before joining the firm in 2017, he spent nearly a decade as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, where he helped convict drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. He later also represented Sam Bankman-Fried.

What is the Jencks Act mentioned in the document?

The Jencks Act (18 U.S.C. § 3500) requires the government to produce statements made by prosecution witnesses after those witnesses testify at trial. Prosecutors indicated victim identities would be disclosed through this process closer to trial rather than during early discovery.

EFTA00018578 - EFTA00018579

A court certification filed by Ghislaine Maxwell's defense attorney Christian R. Everdell on August 10, 2020, documenting a dispute with prosecutors over early disclosure of victim identities in her federal sex trafficking case.

This is a formal legal certification filed in United States v. Ghislaine Maxwell (Case 20 Cr. 330) in the Southern District of New York. Defense attorney Christian R. Everdell of Cohen & Gresser LLP certifies that he conferred with federal prosecutors regarding the defense's request to learn the identities of 'Victims 1-3' named in the indictment. The government declined the request, stating they would disclose victim identities through standard discovery or Jencks Act material closer to trial. This procedural filing documents the defense's efforts to obtain victim information early in the case.

Key Highlights

•Defense sought early disclosure of victim identities under protective order restrictions
•Prosecutors refused, preferring standard Rule 16 discovery or Jencks Act disclosure timeline
•Filed just weeks after Maxwell's July 2020 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges
•Christian Everdell previously prosecuted 'El Chapo' before becoming Maxwell's defense attorney

Frequently Asked Questions

Books for Further Reading

The Spider: Inside the Tangled Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell

Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

Julie K. Brown

Investigative journalism that broke the Epstein case open

Relentless Pursuit: Our Battle with Jeffrey Epstein

Document Information

Bates Range

EFTA00018578 - EFTA00018579

Pages

Document Content

Page 1 - EFTA00018578

Case 1:20-cr-00330-AJN Document 39 Filed 08/10/20 Page 1 of 2 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK x • UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, • . AFFIDAVIT OF CERTIFICATION v. . PURSUANT TO LOCAL CRIMINAL RULE 16.1 GHISLAINE MAXWELL, . Defendant. 20 Cr. 330 (AJN) • x I, Christian R. Everdell, an attorney duly admitted to practice in New York State and before this Court, declare the following is true and correct under penalty of perjury pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746: 1. I am a partner at Cohen & Gresser LLP, counsel for defendant Ghislaine Maxwell in the above-captioned case. 2. I certify pursuant to Local Criminal Rule 16.1 that defense counsel has conferred in good faith with Assistant U.S. Attorneys and regarding the defense's request for the disclosure of the identities of Victims 1-3 referenced in the indictment, subject to the restrictions of the protective order entered by the Court. The government did not agree to the request, and instead indicated that it would disclose the identities of Victims 1-3 through its production of Rule 16 discovery, or as part of its production of Jencks Act material closer to trial. EFTA00018578

Page 2 - EFTA00018579

Case 1:20-cr-00330-AJN Document 39 Filed 08/10/20 Page 2 of 2 I hereby certify that the foregoing statements made by me are true. I am aware that if any of the foregoing statements are willfully false, I am subject to punishment. Dated: August 10, 2020 /s/Christian R. Everdell New York, New York Christian R. Everdell COHEN & DRESSER LLP New York, New York 10022 Phone: 2 EFTA00018579