Judge to rule on sealed plea-deal papers today

Page 1 @ LexisNexis’ 7 of 11 DOCUMENTS Copyright 2009 ProQuest Information and Learning All Rights Reserved ProQuest SuperText Copyright 2009 Palm Beach Post Palm Beach Daily News June 25, 2009 Thursday Final Edition SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A.1 LENGTH: 557 words HEADLINE: JUDGE TO RULE ON SEALED PLEA-DEAL PAPERS TODAY BYLINE: MICHELE DARGAN, MICHELE DARGAN, Daily News Staff Writer BODY: A circuit judge will decide today whether the public will be privy to the federal government's non-prosecution deal with Jeffrey Epstein, which was sealed when the convicted sex offender pleaded guilty in June 2008 to two felony counts. Epstein, of Palm Beach, will be released from the Palm Beach County Stockade July 22, after serving less than 13 months of his 18- month sentence for procuring a minor for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution. Teri Barbera, spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, confirmed his release date Tuesday. Epstein's projected release date had been Sept. 24, but gain time -- which includes his participation in a work-release program -- moves the date up to July 22, Barbera said. Epstein, 56, has been in the work-release program since Oct. 10, in which he is allowed out of the stockade six days a week, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., to go to his West Palm Beach office, the Florida Science Foundation, monitored by an ankle bracelet and accompanied by a deputy. As part of Epstein’s state plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office agreed not to prosecute Epstein on federal charges as long as he fulfills all requirements of his sentence and probation. The federal non-prosecution agreement has been under seal in state court. Epstein's attorney Jack Goldberger filed court papers asking that the documents stay sealed for the following rea- sons: "to prevent a serious imminent threat to the fair, impartial and orderly administration of justice; to protect a com- pelling government interest; to avoid substantial injury to innocent third parties and to avoid substantial injury to a party by disclosure of matters protected by a common law and privacy right, not generally inherent in these specific type of proceedings, sought to be closed." Fort Lauderdale-based attorney Brad Edwards represents three Epstein victims and has asked Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath to unseal the federal agreement to the public. An attorney for The Palm Beach Post also has asked that the rec- ords be unsealed. Edwards and his clients have seen the agreement after a federal judge ruled that they are allowed to see it. But that ruling bars Edwards and anyone else who sees the document from disclosing the terms to anyone else. Edwards said he wants to use that document "in the deposition of various material witnesses" relative to his cases. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_013421