Disgraced socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 62, is set to kick off her appeal against sex trafficking conviction in NYC court today as she serves out 20-year sentence for luring young girls to massage rooms for pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

Ghislaine Maxwell's legal team will argue that her accusers had 'faded distorted and motivated memories' as she begins her appeal against a 20-year sentence that was handed down to her in 2022 for aiding Jeffrey Epstein's pedophile ring. 

Maxwell, 62, was described as 'dangerous' during her trial as jurors were told details of how she helped entice vulnerable teenagers to Epstein's various properties for him to sexually abuse.

One of the details that Maxwell's lawyers will argue surrounded juror Scotty David who allegedly failed to disclose that he had been sexually abused in his pre-trial questionnaire. 

Judge Alison Nathan said at sentencing that Maxwell was 'central' to Epstein's heinous crimes, not a 'proxy.' 

'Ms Maxwell worked with Epstein to select young victims who were vulnerable and played a pivotal role in facilitating sexual abuse,' the judge said.  

Earlier this month, MailOnline reported that Maxwell was 'focused and motivated' for her appeal. The disgraced socialite serving her time in a minimum security prison in Tallahassee. 

Maxwell's close relationship with Epstein was well-documented in public over the years, yet she still denies having knowledge of the dead financier's crimes

'Judge Alison Nathan said at sentencing that Maxwell was 'central' to Epstein's heinous crimes, not a 'proxy

'It's unusual for someone to have such a grasp of a complex case like this. It's unique. But she's focused and motivated and that motivates us. It definitely puts some fire in our belly,' her brother Ian said.  

The US government lawyers said Maxwell's appeal arguments 'fall far short of establishing Judge Nathan abused her discretion' in her decision not to overturn the jury's verdict.

They will also argue that her sentence was not unfair and that her arguments to the contrary are 'so cursory and undeveloped' that they should be dismissed.

She was convicted of five offences, including sex trafficking minors, conspiracy to entice a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, and conspiracy to transport a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Maxwell has been incarcerated since July 2020, despite numerous attempts from her defense counsel to have her released on bail.

In January DailyMail.com revealed that Maxwell had been telling her fellow inmates in prison to ignore the reports and promised she would write memoir giving 'the truth', although this is expected to be an attempt to whitewash her involvement.

A source claimed that Maxwell, who was a close associate of Epstein for years, claimed 'the documents in the news are all false or misinformation' and 'the truth will only come out when her book does.' 

The insider said: 'She's bragging about how great it will be but it sounds like the same old lies she has told a thousand times.

'She really thinks she hasn't done anything wrong and that her charges will be dropped when people read it.' 

In a self-serving prison interview last year, she denied knowledge of the dead financier's crimes, insisting she regretted ever meeting him and had no idea he was 'capable of evil.'

But hundreds of documents made public in January, relating to a long-settled defamation case filed against Maxwell by Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre, make a mockery of her claims of innocence.

Scores of famous people including Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, Donald Trump and Stephen Hawking were outed as being friends or associates of the late predator, who hanged himself behind bars in 2019 instead of facing trial.

But multiple testimonies from victims and former Epstein aides once more insisted that Maxwell was 'the boss' of his underage sex ring, drawing the same conclusion as jurors in her New York trial.

Maxwell's bleak financial condition and incarceration is a striking fall from grace for the favorite daughter of the late media baron Robert Maxwell. Pictured: General views of FCI Tallahassee

Early reports revealed how the disgraced British socialite struggled to cope with her new life behind bars, refusing to eat and complaining bitterly to prison authorities that her clothes didn't fit

Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

The death was ruled a suicide.

Last month, it was reported that grand jury transcripts from a 2006 Florida investigation into of underage girls will be released publicly later this year under legislation signed into law Thursday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

A local judge cited the new law in denying release of the records for now.

The measure, which takes effect July 1, would carve out a limited exception to the secrecy that generally shrouds grand jury testimony in specific cases such as that involving Epstein, DeSantis said at a signing ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida, where many of the crimes took place at Epstein's home. 

'There needs to be a mechanism in some of these rare circumstances where people can get the truth,' the Republican governor said. 'This is in the interest of justice to disclose this. We don't think we can just turn a blind eye.' 

Infamously, Trump's Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta signed off on a cushy deal for Epstein. 

In 2008 that allowed him to escape more severe federal charges and instead plead guilty to state charges of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution. 

He was sentenced to 18 months in the Palm Beach County jail system, followed by 12 months of house arrest. He was required to register as a sex offender.

'What happened was clearly wrong and the punishment was wholly inadequate for the crime,' DeSantis said. 

Epstein in 2018 was charged with federal sex trafficking - where he also had a mansion that was a scene of abuse - after the Miami Herald published a series of articles that renewed public focus on the case, including interviews with some victims who had been pursuing civil lawsuits against him.

Maxwell, who procured minors for sex offender and one-time boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein, has been allegedly dispelling reports about the recently released trove of court documents naming his associates to her pals in prison, insiders say