What we could learn from the 2006 Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts
We know that the Palm Beach County state attorney in 2006 torpedoed his own case before a grand jury that came up with only one criminal charge against Jeffrey Epstein — what a "john" might face for soliciting an adult sex worker.
We know a little bit about how that happened when only one victim, a girl who says she was abused by Epstein at age 14, testified and Barry Krischer's prosecutor undermined her with her social media pages.
We know that the judge presiding over The Palm Beach Post's case seeking to make the transcripts of the proceedings public, who has seen the transcripts, says they contain much of what The Post has reported.
Jeffrey Epstein transcripts: Secret documents just released because of Palm Beach Post lawsuit
Despite what Judge Luis Delgado has said, however, there are still likely some things to learn from the 158-page transcript of the proceedings, which could be released as soon as early July under a new state law meant to pave the way in The Post's 2019 lawsuit.
Here are some questions that might be answered:
What menu of charges on Epstein was presented to the grand jury by prosecutors?
What charges did grand jurors have to choose from? What was the most serious charge on the menu given to them by the prosecutors?
Were the charges that had been recommended by the Palm Beach police on the list? Those included one count of lewd and lascivious molestation and/or four counts of unlawful sex with a minor, all second-degree felonies that had the potential to put Epstein away for 75 years.
The state attorney's office said at the time that grand jurors could choose from the most serious charges to the least serious but has never said what they were.
What about all of the victims Palm Beach police found?
∙Was there testimony or even questions indicating police found multiple victims?
Only one victim took the stand, but did Assistant State Attorney Lanna Belohlavek question Palm Beach police detective Joseph Recarey about others? Police had found roughly two dozen young women and girls who described sexual abuse at Epstein's Palm Beach mansion.
What about the age of the victim testifying in the Jeffrey Epstein case?
∙Was it clear to grand jurors that the only victim to testify was underage? The question is relevant because the solicitation of prostitution charge did not reflect the fact that she was a minor. It was a charge a "john" would face when soliciting an adult sex worker.
It did, however, label her a prostitute. State law at the time recognized 18 as the age of consent, but also allowed children her age to be charged with prostitution — and Krischer had charged children with prostitution more than once.
How was the only victim to testify treated?
We know Belohlavek discredited her own witness with her MySpace pages, but what did that look like? What kind of questions did Belohlavek ask? Was the teen, at most 15 years old when she testified, treated respectfully?
Belohlavek said she wanted to see how well the girl would hold up under cross-examination should the case go to trial. The detective testified in subsequent legal cases related to Epstein that the prosecutor once told him, "There are no victims here."
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the Palm Beach County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center can help. Reach their helpline at 561-833-7273, or toll-free at 866-891-7273.
Holly Baltz is the investigations editor at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jeffrey Epstein transcripts released in Florida from grand jury case
