Earlier this year, a survivor of sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit claiming the financier and his alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, groomed her for sex in the '90s starting when she was 14. The woman, referred to as Jane Doe, also claimed Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago and asked the future president, This is a good one, right? (Doe did not accuse Trump of any misconduct.)

On Monday, a federal judge put Does lawsuit on hold pending the resolution of Maxwells criminal trial, scheduled for July 12, 2021. Maxwell, who is a defendant in Does suit, is facing a slew of charges related to Epsteins underage sex ring.

U.S. District Judge Debra Freeman ruled Does litigation would result in undue prejudice for the British socialite. Should discovery in the civil action proceed, Maxwell would be forced to decide whether to defend herself by making pretrial disclosures and giving deposition testimony (which could be used against her in the criminal case) or to invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination (which would protect her in the criminal case, but which could well result in an adverse inference being drawn against her in the civil case), Freeman noted in her order.

Days before the ruling, federal prosecutors submitted a letter arguing a complete stay of this civil action will serve the public interest of preserving the integrity of the criminal prosecution against Maxwell. They said Maxwells indictment contains allegations that overlap with those mentioned in Does complaint.

As we reported, Doe was the last holdout against Epsteins estate. She had chosen to continue her litigation despite what her lawyers described as pressure from the estates co-executors, Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, to stay her case and pursue a claim with the victims compensation fund instead. (Survivors are not required to pause their litigation until they accept an offer from the fund.)

Before Does case was interrupted, her lawyers tried to schedule depositions for Maxwell, Indyke, and Kahn. Does attorney Robert Glassman has previously stated Indyke, Epsteins longtime personal lawyer, has firsthand knowledge of Epsteins relationship with Doe and even acted on [Epsteins] behalf to communicate with [Doe] on several occasions.

In late August, Glassman fought to keep Does case active, arguing in a letter that continuing the litigation was in the publics interest.

The continuation of this last remaining civil avenue can furnish the public with critical information as to defendant Maxwell's well known criminal enterprise, how it was operated and all those involved, Glassman wrote to Freeman. A stay of the civil proceedings would provide what defendant Maxwell has sought for yearsconcealing her heinous acts from public view.

Delaying Does case, Glassman added, would simply delay long overdue justice for his client.

For too long Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell skirted the consequences of their vile acts. Sadly, defendant Maxwells seeking a stay is consistent with her decades-long routine of resisting accountability for sexually abusing minors.

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Lawsuit of Epstein Victim Who Says He Introduced Her to Trump Put on Hold - The Daily Beast