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'20A THE PALM BEACH POST • FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 16, 2007
The Palm Beach Post
TOM GIUFERIDA Publisher
JOHN RARTOSEK. Edaor CHARLES GERARDI, General Mintage,
RILL ROSE. Managing Mao, RANDY SCHULTZ. Editor of the Editorial Page
JAN TUCKWOOD, Associate Editor
BARRY BERG, VP Circulation LARRY SIEDUK. VP& Thwarter
JOHN KELLY. VP Adverb's* GALE HOWDEN, VP Corrumatity Regan and Mariam
LINDA MURPHY. VP Mona' Resources BOB BALF£. VYOperation,
LAURA DECK CUNNINGHAM. Director. Marine; Senlees
DAN SHORTER General Masagn, PabuliraeliPostcom
How will system judge
Palm Beach predator?
We soon will find out whether Jeffrey Epstein case
big money can buy from the crimi-
comes to turning point.
nal justice system what everyone
assumes that big money can buy.
The penalty news reports say
part-time Palm Beach resident the public understanding that
Jeffrey Epstein is expected to face the more money the accused has,
suggests that he wiD plead guilty the bigger the break he gets. Mc
to something more than one felony Epstein% legal team includes West
count for solicitation of prostitution. Palm Beach defense attorney Jack
A Palm Beach County grand jury Goldberger, Harvard Law School
indicted the Manhattan money Professor Alan Dershowitz, who
manager on that charge in July worked on the OJ. Simpson murder
2006. But a guilty plea that does not case, and Kenneth Starr, who once
recognize the age of the girls whom pursued a president based on his
police say the billionaire paid for lies about sex with young women.
sex would be a disservice to the Federal authorities also stepped
girls, an insult to the investigators in, which stalled the state% case
who pressed the case and, for good for another year. On Nov. 9, citing
measure, a general outrage. an unnamed source close to Jeffrey
Palm Beach police have said that Epstein, Jose Lambiet of The Post
Jeffrey Epstein. 54, paid underage wrote that the federal investigation
girls, one as young as 14, to come to is over, and Mc Epstein is ex
his 7,200-square-foot waterfront home to serve up to 18 months an could
for "massage" sessions. fblice said be labeled a sex offender in crimi-
interviews with five alleged victims nal records. The charge the grand
and 17 witnesses under oath, phone jury returned more than a year ago
messages, a high school transcript carries a maximum five-year prison
and other items they found in Mr. term and no "sex offender label.
Epstein's trash and home show that "This case," Mr. Goldberger told
he knew how young the girls were. Mr. Lambiet, "is absolutely going to
But after Mr Epstein's attorneys told end without a trial within the next
prosecutors about the girls' MySpace two months" State attorney spokes-
pages, which mentioned marijuana man Michael Edmondson would
and alcohol use, State Attorney Barry not confirm any plea deal. But, he
Krischer sent the case to a grand jury. noted: 'The state attorney's hands
instead of filing charges himself are not tied by there being a single
Blaming these victims, however, grand jury charge. That does not
does not make them any more de- preclude additional charges"
serving of what happened. And Mr. Jeffrey Epstein, like too many
Krischer's unnecessary handoff to a men in Florida. preyed on teenaged
grand jury, after an 11-month police girls. The system should not let him
investigation, more than reinforced buy his way out of that reality
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