Ghislaine Maxwell juror Scotty David arrives at federal court to be grilled on failing to disclose his history of sexual abuse, as DOJ grants him immunity

• Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted on December 29 on five counts of sex trafficking and other crimes  
• But her lawyers said there were ‘incontrovertible grounds’ for a new trial after juror Scotty David said he described being abuse as a child during deliberations
• Scotty David was seen Tuesday morning heading into Manhattan federal court just as the Department of Justice granted him immunity
•  The decision paves the way for David to testify at today’s hearing where he can now be compelled to answer questions fully under oath
• In an interview with DailyMail.com David was asked if he had revealed his own experience of sexual abuse on the juror questionnaire 
• He said: ‘No they don’t ask your sexual abuse history. They didn’t ask it in the questionnaire’ – but question 48 of the document does ask if you are a victim 
• In another interview David said that he, ‘flew through’ the juror questionnaire   
• An expert has since said David’s interviews were ‘an absolute disaster’ and there is a very real possibility that Maxwell’s conviction could be tossed 

The juror on the Ghislaine Maxwell case who did not disclose his history of sexual abuse during jury selection has arrived to court today to be grilled under oath.

Scotty David was seen Tuesday morning heading into Manhattan federal court just as the Department of Justice granted him immunity. 

Last week his lawyer Todd Spodek said he wanted to exercise his ‘privilege against self-incrimination at the hearing’ and plead the Fifth. 

After the bombshell filing, prosecutors immediately requested an order forcing David to testify.

The filings raised the stakes significantly ahead of David’s appearance, which could lead to a new trial for Maxwell.

Juror Scotty David was seen Tuesday morning heading into Manhattan federal court just as the Department of Justice granted him immunity

Scotty David, the juror on the Ghislaine Maxwell case who did not disclose his history of sexual abuse during jury selection, initially wanted to plead the Fifth 

The British socialite was convicted in December of recruiting and trafficking underage girls for the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and is facing up to 65 years in jail at her sentencing in June.

Maxwell’s lawyers have demanded a new trial based on the fact that David misrepresented himself on his jury questionnaire.

He ticked ‘no’ on two boxes which related to being a victim of crime and sexual abuse.

David has said in media interviews that he ‘flew through’ the questionnaire and that he thought he answered everything honestly.

In the filing, Spodek told Judge Allison Nathan that he was the lawyer representing David, who is also known as Juror no.50.

Spodek wrote: ‘I am writing in response to Your Honor’s February 24, 2022 Order directing Juror 50 to appear for a hearing on March 8, 2022.

‘I write to inform the Court that Juror 50 will invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination at the hearing. Thank you for your consideration’.

In their letter, prosecutors from the Southern District of New York said that they were ‘in the process of seeking internal approval to seek an order compelling Juror 50’s testimony at the hearing’.

The letter said: ‘The Government will, subject to internal approval, submit a proposed order to the Court in advance of the hearing’.

Ghislaine Maxwell on Epstein’s private jet airplane. Maxwell was convicted on December 29 on five counts of sex trafficking and other crimes

Scotty recalled looking directly at Maxwell, ‘I could literally see her [all the time]. There were times when it felt like she was staring right at me and we would lock eyes…it didn’t feel real’ 

Judge Allison Nathan has said in a ruling that David’s post-trial statements are ‘clear, strong, substantial and incontrovertible evidence that a specific, nonspeculative impropriety’ had occurred, meaning a false statement.

The hearing is  to determine whether or not it was deliberate, which means that David’s intention to plead the Fifth raises significant questions.

Crucially, David ticked ‘no’ to question 48 which asked if he had ever been the ‘victim of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or sexual assault, including actual or attempted sexual assault or other unwanted sexual advance, including by a stranger, acquaintance, supervisor, teacher, or family member’.

In interviews after the trial, including with DailyMail.com, David said that telling the other jury members about his own abuse was a turning point in their deliberations and the room fell ‘silent’.

The 35-year-old executive assistant in the financial sector explained to them that in his own case he could remember some details but not everything – a key point of contention in the case.

David said: ‘I know what happened when I was sexually abused. I remember the (color) of the carpet, the walls. Some of it can be replayed like a video.’

During the trial Scotty, who works in finance, was seated in the third row of the jury box, in the back corner. From his vantage point, he said, he had a vista of the entire court and the ‘perfect view’ of Maxwell herself

Mark Bederow, a New York lawyer who is not involved in the Maxwell case said that from David’s point of view it was ‘very good legal advice’ not to talk.

He said: ‘From his perspective it’s probably the safest thing to do, though it will have a significant impact on the court’s ruling.

‘His criminal exposure is that he lied to the court, theoretically, if he did indeed lie. If he represented in a federal court proceeding he was not the victim of a sexual crime and in fact there is substantial evidence he was bragging about his oversized influence on other jurors because of that experience he would be in legal peril if he were to testify under oath in front of Judge Nathan.

‘The best thing for him to do is say nothing, notwithstanding the fact it will throw the verdict into complete peril.

‘A new trial appears more likely today than yesterday:.

‘If he takes the witness stand and is asked to answer about whether he was untruthful and his response to each of those questions is I refuse to answer on the grounds it may incriminate myself, what is the court supposed to conclude?’

In his interviews, David also described how in vivid detail serving on the jury of six men and six women which took 40 hours to convict Maxwell.

David said that at one point he ‘locked eyes’ with Maxwell, 60, from his third row seat in the jury box.

He said: ‘There were times when it felt like she was staring right at me and we would lock eyes…it didn’t feel real’.

David said that after hearing all the evidence he was convinced of Maxwell’s guilt.

He said: ‘After all I’ve learned, she’s just as guilty as Epstein. I don’t want to call her a monster, but a predator is the right word.

‘She knew what was happening. She knew what Epstein was doing and she allowed it to happen. She participated in getting these girls comfortable so that he could have his way with them’.

In their request for a new trial, Maxwell’s lawyers claimed that David was ‘not telling the truth’ about his history of abuse.

That has violated her right to a fair trial and her constitutional rights, they argued.

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