A judge in the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York denied Ghislaine Maxwell’s latest request for bail on Monday, citing the need for continued detention due to the British socialite’s flight risk, given her opaque finances and dual citizenship. Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020 while awaiting trial on charges of conspiring with deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein to engage in numerous criminal sexual activities involving abuse of minors.

In the two-page order, Judge Alison J. Nathan denied Maxwell’s $28.5 million bail package offer in reference to 18 U.S. Code § 3142 (g), which offers factors by which a judicial officer might consider release a defendant pending trial. Nathan determined that Maxwell’s continued detention was appropriate due to the nature and circumstances of the offenses charged, the weight of the evidence against Maxwell, and Maxwell’s personal history and characteristics.

While Nathan acknowledged that Maxwell does not pose an immediate danger to the community, she stated that the other § 3142(g) factors were of such persuasive value that Maxwell’s continued detention was warranted under 18 U.S.C. § 3142 (e). In a summary statement, Nathan found that Maxwell’s offered bail conditions could not reasonably ensure her appearance at future proceedings. This opinion mirrors the findings of Maxwell’s original bail hearing in July, which established her status as a flight risk necessitating detention while awaiting trial.

Due to the confidential nature of the information informing her Opinion, Nathan has allowed both parties 48 hours to request redactions before filing her Opinion and full Order on the public docket. Maxwell’s trial is set to begin on July 12, 2021.