Federal Judge Grants Ghislaine Maxwell-Related Grand Jury Records Release Amid Concerns Over Victim Privacy
A US federal judge in New York has approved the release of grand jury records related to Ghislaine Maxwell's case, following a Justice Department request. The decision comes after a recent law passed by Congress requires the department to make public all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The ruling follows days after another federal judge in Florida ordered the release of grand jury investigations into Epstein from 2005 and 2007. The Justice Department had initially requested the release of Maxwell's case-related records, but was rejected by a previous judge who deemed their release would not reveal new information on the crimes.
In his ruling, Judge Paul Engelmayer acknowledged that victims of Epstein and Maxwell have expressed concerns about their identities and privacy being compromised if the records were released. He agreed with these concerns, stating that "the victims' concerns have a basis in fact" and pointing out that the Justice Department had not treated them with sufficient care.
The judge also criticized the department for initially failing to give notice to Epstein's and Maxwell's victims before filing the motion to unseal grand jury materials. However, following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires the release of related records, Engelmayer changed his position and agreed that the records should be made public.
The ruling has implications for Maxwell's case, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for federal sex trafficking charges. Her attorney had argued that releasing the grand jury materials would create undue prejudice and prevent a fair retrial.
It remains to be seen when the released records will become available, but the judge has stated that they will require rigorous review by the US attorney for the Southern District of New York before release.
A US federal judge in New York has approved the release of grand jury records related to Ghislaine Maxwell's case, following a Justice Department request. The decision comes after a recent law passed by Congress requires the department to make public all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The ruling follows days after another federal judge in Florida ordered the release of grand jury investigations into Epstein from 2005 and 2007. The Justice Department had initially requested the release of Maxwell's case-related records, but was rejected by a previous judge who deemed their release would not reveal new information on the crimes.
In his ruling, Judge Paul Engelmayer acknowledged that victims of Epstein and Maxwell have expressed concerns about their identities and privacy being compromised if the records were released. He agreed with these concerns, stating that "the victims' concerns have a basis in fact" and pointing out that the Justice Department had not treated them with sufficient care.
The judge also criticized the department for initially failing to give notice to Epstein's and Maxwell's victims before filing the motion to unseal grand jury materials. However, following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires the release of related records, Engelmayer changed his position and agreed that the records should be made public.
The ruling has implications for Maxwell's case, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for federal sex trafficking charges. Her attorney had argued that releasing the grand jury materials would create undue prejudice and prevent a fair retrial.
It remains to be seen when the released records will become available, but the judge has stated that they will require rigorous review by the US attorney for the Southern District of New York before release.
like what even is going on here? these victims thought they were safe and then their private info gets leaked left and right because some judge is all like "oh well" 
I feel so bad for them, cant even imagine how hard this must be for them to go through. its just not fair that they have to deal with this on top of everything else
So this is what we get when politicians actually follow through on their promises 
. The new law passed by Congress was a game-changer here, and it's about time someone held the Justice Department accountable for their handling of Epstein and Maxwell's cases 
. I mean, who needs secrecy in investigations if you're not doing anything right? It's all about victims' rights now, and that's something we can get behind 
. Of course, there are still some concerns about potential prejudice, but at this point, transparency is key 
. The fact that the judge finally listened to the victims and agreed that their identities should be protected is a major win 
. Now let's see if the Justice Department can actually deliver on this promise without any more hiccups 
. It's all about progress here, folks!
?
. Judge Engelmayer seems like a decent dude who cares about the victims' feelings, and I'm sure he's worried they might be identified or harassed once these records hit the public domain 
. Can't wait to see what comes out of this - might just blow some other conspiracies wide open 
I mean, what's up with these grand jury records? It's like they're trying to get away with some sort of " Epsteingate" 
. But seriously, it's kinda weird that people thought their identities wouldn't be compromised if the records came out. Newsflash: we live in a world where our personal info is already all over the internet! 
Like, if the records are gonna be released anyway, might as well be transparent right? 
. But then again, we gotta know what happened with Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein, you know? It's like, justice and everything 
. The judge was right to consider the victims' concerns, but at the same time, releasing these records might help keep people informed and hold those in power accountable 
. I'm torn about this one...