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The Supreme Court will meet in private on Monday to consider hundreds of appeals that accumulated over the summer — including a high-profile petition from Ghislaine Maxwell, who is seeking to overturn parts of her conviction for aiding Jeffrey Epstein in recruiting and grooming underage girls.
The session, known as the “long conference,” is the first gathering of the justices since their summer recess. It comes just days before the court begins its new nine-month term on Oct. 6 and coincides with the 20th anniversary of Chief Justice John Roberts’s appointment.
Among the wide range of petitions before the court are challenges involving gun rights, social media liability protections and disputes stemming from COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The justices will review which cases to take up, with decisions expected later in the week. Only four of the nine justices must vote to hear a case.
Maxwell’s lawyers argue that one of her three criminal convictions should be vacated because of a 2007 nonprosecution agreement federal prosecutors in Florida made with Epstein. That deal, struck by then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, shielded Epstein and his “potential co-conspirators” from federal prosecution in the district. Maxwell’s team contends the agreement should apply nationwide.
The Justice Department has urged the high court not to intervene, saying the Florida agreement does not extend beyond that district. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said internal Justice Department policies would have required additional authorization for such an expansive agreement — and that no such approval was ever given.
The Epstein case has drawn renewed attention in recent months amid public pressure on the Trump administration to disclose more information about Epstein’s network and the Justice Department’s past handling of the case. Federal investigators have maintained there is no “client list” and that Epstein’s 2019 death was a suicide, pushing back on conspiracy theories circulating online.
Maxwell’s connection to Epstein and her subsequent prosecution have long been politically charged. Epstein, a financier with ties to powerful figures, maintained a friendship with Donald Trump for years before their falling out. Acosta, who approved the Florida plea deal, later served as labor secretary in Trump’s first term.
Earlier this year, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — once a personal attorney to Trump — met privately with Maxwell at a Florida prison, prompting speculation about the administration’s involvement. Shortly afterward, she was transferred to a minimum-security facility in Texas.
Maxwell, 63, was convicted in 2022 on three federal counts for helping Epstein recruit and abuse teenage girls, some as young as 14. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said she played a central role in identifying victims, arranging their travel, and, in some cases, participating in the abuse.
The Supreme Court’s decision on whether to hear Maxwell’s appeal could set a precedent for how broadly nonprosecution agreements can be applied across federal districts.
