EFTA00015606.pdf

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
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New York, N.Y.
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
19 Cr. 490 (RMB)
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v.
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JEFFREY EPSTEIN,
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Defendant.
Conference
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July 8, 2019
1:20 p.m.
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Before:
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HON. HENRY B. PITMAN,
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Magistrate Judge
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APPEARANCES
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GEOFFREY S. BERMAN
United States Attorney for the
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Southern District of New York
BY:
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Assistant United States Attorneys
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STEPTOE & JOHNSON, LLP
Attorneys for Defendant
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BY: REID H. WEINGARTEN
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MARTIN G. WEINBERG
Attorney for Defendant
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MARC FERNICH
Attorney for Defendant
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Also Present:
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Special Agent
FBI
Detective
NYPD
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SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORTERS, P.C.
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SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORTERS, P.C.
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(Case called)
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THE DEPUTY CLERK:
Counsel, please state your name for
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the record.
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Good afternoon, your Honor. For the
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government, and
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With us are Special Agent
of the F.B.I. and
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Detective
NYPD task force officer.
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THE COURT: Okay.
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MR. WEINGARTEN: Good afternoon, your Honor.
For
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Jeffrey Epstein, Reid Weingarten from the law firm of Steptoe &
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Johnson.
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MR. WEINGARTEN: Good afternoon, your Honor.
Martin
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Weinberg.
I'm an attorney from Boston, Massachusetts; and,
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with your Honor's permission, I will be filing a pro hac vice
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to represent Mr. Epstein.
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THE COURT: Okay.
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MR. FERNICH: Good afternoon, your Honor.
Marc
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Fernich, New York, New York, also for Mr. Epstein.
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THE COURT: All right.
I have spoken to Judge Berman.
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The matter has been referred to me for the initial appearance,
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arraignment, and bail.
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Mr. Epstein, my name is Magistrate Judge Pitman.
The
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purpose of this proceeding is to inform you of certain rights
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that you have, to inform you of the charges against you, to
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consider whether counsel should be appointed for you, and to
SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORTERS, P.C.
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SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORTERS, P.C.
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decide under what conditions, if any, you should be released.
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Can I have the date and time of arrest, please?
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MR.
Yes, your Honor.
The defendant was
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arrested on Saturday, July 6, at approximately 5:30 p.m.
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THE COURT: Thank you.
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Mr. Epstein, you have the right to remain silent.
You
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are not required to make any statements.
Even if you have made
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any statements to the authorities, you need not make any
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further statements.
Anything you do say can be used against
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you.
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You have the right to be released, either
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conditionally or unconditionally, pending trial unless I find
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that there are no conditions or combination of conditions that
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would reasonably assure your presence in court and the safety
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of the community.
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You have the right to be represented by counsel during
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all court proceedings, including this one, and during all
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questioning by the authorities.
If you cannot afford an
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attorney, I will appoint one to represent you.
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It is my understanding that you are being represented
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by retained counsel.
I want to advise you that the right to
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the appointment of counsel is an ongoing right that you possess
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throughout these proceedings.
If at any time you are unable to
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continue with retained counsel for financial reasons, you can
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apply to the court at any time for the appointment of counsel.
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SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORTERS, P.C.
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Do you understand that?
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THE DEFENDANT:
Yes, your Honor.
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THE COURT: Mr. Epstein, you are charged in an
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indictment in two counts.
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Count One charges you with a sex trafficking
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conspiracy in violation of Title 18 United States Code § 371.
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Count Two charges you with the substantive
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offense of sex trafficking in violation of Title 18 United
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States Code § 1591.
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Mr. Weingarten, are you going to be lead counsel here
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today?
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MR. WEINGARTEN:
Yes, your Honor.
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THE COURT: Mr. Weingarten, have you received a copy
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of the indictment?
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MR. WEINGARTEN:
Yes, your Honor.
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THE COURT: Have you reviewed it with your client?
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MR. WEINGARTEN:
Yes, your Honor.
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THE COURT: Do you waive its reading?
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MR. WEINGARTEN:
Yes, your Honor.
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THE COURT: Mr. Epstein, how do you plead?
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THE DEFENDANT:
Not guilty, your Honor.
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THE COURT: Because the defendant has been indicted,
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there will be no preliminary hearing, and that takes us to the
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question of bail.
In that regard, I have received the Pretrial
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Services report.
I have also received a letter from the
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SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORTERS, P.C.
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government dated July 8, 2019.
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I take it all counsel have the same documents?
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MR. WEINGARTEN:
Yes, your Honor.
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THE COURT: I will hear from the government first, and
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then I will hear from defense counsel.
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MR.
Yes, your Honor.
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The government intends to seek detention, and I am
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happy to explain the reasons why.
Would the court prefer that
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I speak from the table or from the podium?
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THE COURT: Whatever your pleasure is.
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MR.
Your Honor, the defendant poses an
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extraordinary risk of flight and danger presented by him.
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Given the charges and the characteristics of the defendant, he
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simply cannot reasonably be expected to appear in court if he
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is granted bail.
Accordingly, the government joins the
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recommendation of Pretrial Services that the defendant be
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detained pending trial for a number of reasons.
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Starting with the conduct alleged, the defendant is
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charged with trafficking minors for sex acts, as the court
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explained, in violation of 18 United States Code § 591, and is
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charged with a count of conspiracy to traffic minors for sex
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acts in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371.
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In particular, the indictment charges that the
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defendant engaged in a years-long scheme to sexually abuse
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underage girls, paying minor girls to themselves be abused, and
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