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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 17 sepTember 2019
Epstein accusers denied compensation in victims' rights case

By JIM MUSTIAN trafficking. or to get other things they'd
Associated Press Former Miami U.S. Attorney asked for, including records
A group of women who Alexander Acosta, who related to the investigation
say they were sexually oversaw the plea deal, and a personal meeting
abused by Jeffrey Epstein stepped down as U.S. la- with Acosta.
suffered a setback Mon- bor secretary amid the re- But he said they could
day in their decade-long newed scrutiny. "take solace" in the na-
legal fight over a plea deal And Marra ruled in Febru- tional attention their lawsuit
that allowed the financier ary that prosecutors had vi- brought to "the importance
to avoid a lengthy prison olated the rights of dozens of victims in the criminal jus-
term. of Epstein accusers by se- tice system."
A federal judge in West cretly reaching a nonpros- The civil case "likely played
Palm Beach, Florida, ruled ecution agreement that some role," he said, in
that the women were not allowed Epstein to plead the federal sex trafficking
entitled to compensation guilty to state charges. charges brought against
from the U.S. Justice De- Despite those findings, Epstein this summer. In this Aug. 27, 2019 file photo, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a sexu-
partment, even though Marra said in his decision "It has also resulted in the al assault victim, speaks during a press conference outside a
prosecutors violated their Monday, the Crime Victims' United States Department Manhattan court in New York.
rights by failing to consult Rights Act did not authorize of Justice acknowledging Associated Press
them about the 2008 deal an award of restitution to its shortcomings in dealing
to end a federal probe that the women. with crime victims, and its The U.S. Attorney's Office awaiting trial. The U.S. attor-
could have landed Epstein He also said they weren't promise to better train its in Miami declined to com- ney general, William Barr,
in prison for life. entitled to recover attor- prosecutors regarding the ment. has vowed to bring to jus-
"In the end they are not re- ney's fees from the govern- rights of victims under the Epstein killed himself in Au- tice anyone who helped
ceiving much, if any, of the ment, or have the original CVRA in the future," Marra gust in the federal jail in Epstein recruit underage
relief they sought," U.S. Dis- plea bargain thrown out, wrote in the 15-page ruling. New York where he was women for sex acts.q
trict Judge Kenneth Marra
wrote.
One of the women's attor-
neys, Paul Cassell, said they
are considering an appeal.
"We are disappointed that
no remedy will be awarded
for the proven violation of
the victims' rights that the
government caused in this
case," he said.
Several of Epstein's victims
sued the Justice Depart-
ment in 2008 over their
handling of his plea nego-
tiations, in which his victims
were purposely kept in the
dark by state and federal
prosecutors in South Flori-
da.
They kept the legal case
alive for years, even after
Epstein finished serving his
13-month jail term, paid fi-
nancial settlements to vic-
tims and registered as a
sex offender, arguing that
prosecutors had violated
the federal Crime Victims'
Rights Act.
The drawn-out litigation ulti-
mately fueled a Miami Her-
ald investigation into the
plea negotiations, which
in turn led to a new wave
of public outrage over
perceived favorable treat-
ment for Epstein, who once
counted Presidents Donald
Trump and Bill Clinton as
friends.
Federal prosecutors in New
York revived the case, ar-
guing they weren't bound
by the original deal, and
charged Epstein with sex