Palm Beach State Attorney Refers Epstein Case to Grand Jury After Dershowitz Meeting, Raising Questions of Prosecutorial Bias

The Palm Beach Count State Attorney's Office could have let a jury decide whom to believe. Instead, State Attorney Barry Krischer left the public to wonder whether the system tilted in favor of a wealthy, well-connected alleged perpetrator and against very young girls who are alleged victims of sex crimes. Mr. Krischer took the unusual step of referring the case to a grand jury, which last month indicted Jeffrey Epstein on one felony count of solicitation of prostitution. That decision came after Harvard law Professor Alan Dershowitz met with prosecutors to undermine the credibility of the 14- to 17-yearold girls who charged that Mr. Epstein had paid them $200 to $300 to undress and massage him in his five-bedroom, 7 1/2 -bath home on the Intracoastal Waterway. The girls, Mr. Dershowitz told prosecutors, had written on myspace.com about smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. But if the girls have a credibility problem, what about Jeffrey Epstein? Mr. Goldberger, told The Post: "Mr. Epstein absolutely insisted anybody who came to his house be over the age of 18. How he verified that, I don't know.” And prosecutors took him at his word? Police collected evidence that refutes Jeffrey Epstein's defense. Police searched his home and garbage and found phone messages about the girls' school schedules and even a high school transcript, suggesting that Mr. Epstein at least knew that the girls were teenagers. The state attorney's office has responded to criticism from Palm Beach police and others by noting the higher standard prosecutors face for conviction than law-enforcement officers do for arrest. But in this case, the state attorney bowed to the risk that a jury might look at both Jeffrey Epstein and the girls, and point fingers at both sides. Even if the girls could be impugned as prostitutes, solicitation of a minor is a crime. Former disc jockey and teacher Bruno Moore was charged with that Tuesday. Investigators say the 34-year-old used the Internet - myspace.com - to recruit a 13-year old. Police say Jeffrey Epstein used a 20-year-old woman who had a myspace.com account to recruit young girls. His actions were sleazy. It would have been good to ask a jury just how criminal they were. Palm Beach Post Editorial #3 Spare us the outrage Wednesday, February 13, 2008 An 11-month police investigation led to an indictment on one felony charge of solicitation of prostitution. That was in July 2006, and part-time Palm Beacher Jeffrey Epstein still has faced no repercussions for allegedly preying on underage girls. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021777