Miami U.S. Attorney Recuses from Epstein Case Amid Claims of Prosecutorial Misconduct and Sealed Plea Deal

Wednesday, March 6, 2 019 NATION The Virgin Islands Daily News 9 Miami U.S. attorney's office recuses itself from the Jeffrey Epstein case allowed to travel to .w York and his private island in the Virgin Islands dur- __________________________________________ ing his subsequent house arrest. lie was MIAMI—Just days before a Friday released in 2009, and now divides his deadline, dm Justice Department has time between New York, Palm Beach reassigned dte Jeffrey Epstein victims' and the U.S. Virgin Islands. rights case to the U.S. attorney, office The Herald interviewed four of Ep- in Atlanta. dte attorneys representing stein, victims,who were as young as 13 Epstein, victims saidnesday. at the time they were abused by Epstein. Miami fedeml prosecutors, in a let- They said they felt betrayed by state and ter to attorneys for the victims Monday. federal prosecutors, who treated them said they had recused themselves front like prostitutes instead of victims. Two dte case, according to Brad Edwards of tImm sued the federal government in and Jack Scarola, represethng Ep- 2008 under the Crime Victims' Rights stein, victims. Act, which gmnts crime victims the The reassignment means that the right to be informed than plea deals U.S. attorney for the Northern District 8IXI to confer with prosecutors. of Georgia, Byung J. 'Shy.' Pak. will Marra, in a 33-page opinith. said oversee the case 101 62 government prosecutors not only intentionally 16- P6k, a former Georgia lawmaker, was toted dm Gime Victims' Rights Act, but appointed Atlanta, chief federal pros- they mrtled dte girls into believing that ecutor by President Donald Trump in the FBI, mx tmfficicing arte apinst Ep- October 2017. stein was ongoing — when. in fact. pros- The Justice Department is stillunder motors had secredy closed it after sealing a Friday deadline for prosecutors to the plea bargthn front die pthlic record confer with dte victi.' attorneys in an Marra, noting that he reviewed affi- effort to settle the case. On Feb. 22, U.S. davits, depositions and interrogatories, District Judge Kenneth A. Marra in said "Epstein worked in concert with Palm Beach County ruled that federal others to obtain minors not only for prosecutors. under former Miami U.S. own sexual gnrtification, but also for Attorney Alexander Acosta, broke dte dte sexual gmtification of others?' law when they concealed a plea agree- The victi.' attorneys — Edwards, mem from more than 30 underage girls Scarola and Paul Cassell — have as. in Palm Beach who had been sexually the Justice Department to drow 1116 abirted by Epstein, a nuthimillionaire Epstein's plea agreement and reopen New York hedge fund manager. dte criminal investigation. Marm stopped shoe of voiding dte Edusrds, who brought the victims' ag.ment, which granted Epstein and rights case against the governmart, an untold mother of accomplices im- said transferring the CaSe to anotherju- munity front federal prosecirion for risdiction is a pnident decision. Sill sex trafficking crimes, provided Ep- think it, good that we. going pletrtntlytheui tonitior tcharges loge fresh ey es and a fresh opini c on o, hc plea on the way the case was handled:. Ed- derlatfeederal prosecutors' had gathel2d wards said...day. c"c't leg ha "i34-1;c: tat? innte rt: Fsjardo Orshan — who was appointed Miami, new U.S. attorney, Ariana court recoL show. by Trump in September — did not re- An investigation by Miami tier- spond to a request for comment. ald, -Perversion of Justice:. found that Acosta, who was appointedby Thoth after Acosm met privately with one as the U.S. secretary of labor in 2017, is of Epstein, lawyers, the government the focus of a separate Justrce Depart- agreed to seal the plea agreement so mem investigation into 0611611 16161 that no one — not the victims, not was any prosecutorial misconduct intim even the state court judge who sen- Epstein case. That probe. by the DOJ, tenced Epstein — would know the full Office of Professional Responsibility, extent of his crimes. Epstein, now 66, was initiated in response to demands t7iso:ilcrarecglest°aPnictrticilt )13°1r:til16$ led by Republican Sen. Ben Same of front a bipartisan group in Congress, in the Palm Beach County jail. where Nebraska and Demoaatic Rep. Debbie N Yawn n an Schuh/. of Florida. he VALS giVell liberal work release. aikl VIP Awards a Engraving CUSTOM RUBBER EmBos4is DONE 114101101 hYtIlift Nero" Notary Public • Photocopies Emalling • Faxing • lamination Orthopedic Joint Care for The USVI and The Caribbean Region Dr. Bacot and Comprehensive Orthopaedics Global (COG) have mourned their Total Joint Program effective November 2018. We are pleased to notify the residents of the USVI and surrounding Caribbean Islands about the recent developments to provide much needed orthopedic joint care to the Caribbean region. 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