Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Judge Orders Release of Florida Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts Under Transparency Law

The ruling invokes the Epstein Files Transparency Act to trigger wider disclosures due by Dec. 19.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith granted the Justice Department’s motion to unseal transcripts from the 2005–2007 Florida grand jury investigations and to modify a protective order.
  • The Justice Department has filed parallel requests in New York to unseal grand jury records from Epstein’s 2019 case and Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2021 case, with expedited decisions pending.
  • The statute requires the public release by Dec. 19 of unclassified DOJ records on Epstein and Maxwell, with narrow redactions for victim identities, child sexual abuse material, and active investigations.
  • Ghislaine Maxwell remains in custody at FPC Bryan in Texas and plans to file a pro se habeas petition, as her lawyer argues that releasing grand jury materials from her case could prejudice any retrial.
  • Attorneys for survivors are urging court‑supervised redactions and safeguards after earlier congressional document releases inadvertently exposed some victims’ names.