On day 12, Defence attorney Laura Menninger told Judge Alison Nathan that they were struggling to track down a witness they had subpoenaed.

“I understand that your honour runs a tight ship,” she said. “We are flying people across the country, across the pond, our client’s life is on the line, and we are given only a half a day to put on a witness.”

Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the defence had reasonable time allocated to organise their witnesses.

“We strongly disagree with the suggestion that the defence counsel has been unduly rushed here,” she said.

According to legal experts, Maxwell could struggle to clear the legal bar needed to overturn the court’s verdict. 

“Maxwell is going to have an uphill battle on any appeal.  The appellate court gives great deference to the decisions of juries.  And, frankly, the case was handled expertly on all sides,” Ms Krissoff said.

To succeed, her lawyers would have to show that the judge violated federal rules of evidence or abused her discretion, and that the error impacted the verdict.

If her appeal is unsuccessful, Maxwell could begin naming names in an effort to reduce her sentence, legal experts say.