Month: June 2022

On Tuesday, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aiding the late financier Jeffrey Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls for at least a decade between the 1990s and 2000s. Following a criminal trial, Maxwell was found guilty last December of conspiring with Epstein – an associate and romantic partner for a period of time — to groom, recruit and sexually abuse minors as part of Epstein’s now-infamous trafficking ring. Maxwell was convicted of multiple charges related to sex trafficking and conspiracy.

Maxwell’s defense team had asked to postpone her sentencing hearing because she was suddenly moved to solitary confinement, arguing that Maxwell’s hearing should be rescheduled since solitary confinement meant she was unable to prepare for it.  Despite reports about her mental state, attorneys said that Maxwell was not at risk of suicide prior to the transfer.

The 60-year-old Maxwell was indicted in July of 2020 and taken into federal custody where she was held without bail for 16 months leading up to her trial. Her arrest came about a year after Epstein died by apparent suicide in his New York City jail cell while facing federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. Maxwell pleaded not guilty to all charges originally brought against her, and was acquitted of one count of enticing a minor to travel across state lines to engage in an illegal sex act. She never took the stand to testify during the trial, saying she felt there was “no reason” to formally defend herself before the court because “the government [had] not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

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In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, a number of major pharmacy chains and other retailers have placed limits on purchases of Plan B emergency contraception due to increased demand.  On Friday, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 to overturn its 1973 opinion in Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide.

CVS Pharmacy told CNN that although the pharmacy chain has “ample supply” of contraceptive pill brands Plan B and Aftera, it is limiting purchases to three per customer “to ensure equitable access and consistent supply on store shelves.”

Rite Aid also told CNN they were implementing a similar limit on purchases of contraceptive pills: “Due to increased demand, at this time we are limiting purchases of Plan B contraceptive pills to three per customer,” said Alicja Wojczyk, senior manager of external communications for Rite Aid.

Amazon also confirmed to that it had placed a limit of three units per week on emergency contraceptive pills; and Walmart has said that many of its products purchased online have limits that can change “during times of fluctuating demand” but purchases of emergency contraceptive pills were not currently being limited.

Emergency contraceptive pills – commonly referred to as “morning after pills” — can be purchased over-the-counter without an ID or prescription. The contraceptive pills typically prevent pregnancy by stopping the release of an egg from the ovaries, preventing a sperm from fertilizing an egg or stopping a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb, and are meant to be taken up to three days after unprotected sex.  Emergency contraceptive pills differ from abortion pills, which require a prescription and can be used effectively within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

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