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But that plea deal - guilty of felony solicitation of prostitution and procuring a
person under the age of 18 for prostitution - does not account for all five of the girls,
one as young as 14, who alleged that Epstein sexually abused them. And why is Epstein
serving his term in the overcrowded Palm Beach County Jail and not a state prison, where
inmates are sent if their sentences are longer than one year?
The slow, dissatisfying resolution of the case sends a message to the public
Post your that there's a different system of justice for the wealthy who hire highcomments
powered lawyers. Epstein's legal team included West Palm Beach defense
on this attorney Jack Goldberger, Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz,
who defended O.J. Simpson against murder charges, and Kenneth Starr, the
prosecutor who pursued then-President Bill Clinton for lying about sex with
young women.
Palm Beach police spent 11 months investigating Epstein before State Attorney Barry
Krischer sent the case to a grand jury, instead of charging Epstein so the man who once
boasted of accepting only billionaire clients could face a trial. The police had taken a high
school transcript, class schedules and phone messages from Epstein's home that showed
he knew the girls were underage. Yet Mr. Krischer was more swayed by Epstein's
lawyers, who attempted to impugn the girls' character by showing they had chatted on
myspace.com about smoking marijuana and drinking. He should have let a jury decide
whether the victims - and Epstein - were credible.
Ultimately, one charge against Epstein finally reflected the age of one victim, and the
plea agreement left Epstein labeled a sex offender. With that additional charge, if Epstein
had been convicted at a trial, he could have been sentenced to anything from probation to
15 years in prison, Assistant State Attorney Lanna Belohlavek said, adding that the
recommended guideline sentence was 21 months.
Epstein also won't have to certify to the court that he is receiving counseling, typically
required of sex offenders, because he has a private psychiatrist. But without court
supervision, who will ensure Epstein is in fact being treated?
The plea deal also drops a federal investigation of Epstein. If a federal investigation was
warranted, how does dropping it before completion benefit the public?
Epstein preyed on girls and denied it. For three years, his wealth and the influence of his
lawyers bought him the protection the state attorney owed to the victims.
New York Post – 07/27/2008
New York Post - New York, N.Y.
Date: Jul 27, 2006
Start Page: 014
Section: Page Six
Text Word Count: 395
IT looks like New York billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein got off easy when he was hit
with a charge of soliciting a prostitute for a "happy ending" in Palm Beach.
Because if Palm Beach police had their way, Epstein, 53 - who surrendered last Sunday
and is out on $3,000 bail - might have been whacked with far more serious charges of
paying underage girls for sex.

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