EFTA00214853.pdf

+20A THE PALM BEACH POST • FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 16, 2007 The Palm Beach Post TOM GIUEERIDA. Publisher JOHN BARTOSEK, Edaor CHARLES GERARDI, General Mauler BILL ROSE. Maxaguir Editor RANDY SCHULTZ. Editor of the Editorial Page JAN TUCKWOOD, Associate Editor BARRY BERG, VP Cimtlation LARRY SIEDUK. VP& Thwarter JOHN KELLY. VPAdvertisigg GALE BOWDEN, VP Coutimatity Regan and Mariam LINDA MURPHY. VPHan Resources BOB BALFE. VP Opera:iota LAURA DECK CUNNINGHAM. Arnim Market* Smug, DAN SHORTER. GeneralMariam PahuBeat*Post corn How will system judge Palm Beach predator? We soon will find out whether big money can buy from the crimi- Jeffrey Epstein case nal justice system what everyone comes to turning point. 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 will plead guilty the biker the break he gets. Mt 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 Start 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 dose 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 720D-square-foot waterfront home to serve up to 18 months an could for 'massage sessions. Mice 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," Mc. Goldberger told he knew how young the girls were. Mr Lambiet, "is absolutely going to But after Mr Epstein§ 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. EFTA00214853