A defense lawyer for Jeffrey Epstein on Tuesday expressed deep skepticism that the wealthy financier died by hanging himself in a Manhattan federal jail while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges, as a medical examiner has ruled.
The injuries suffered by Epstein are "far more consistent with assault" than suicide, the lawyer, Reid Weingarten, told Judge Richard Berman in U.S. District Court in Manhattan during a hearing.
Weingarten cited the defense's own medical sources. Broken bones were found in Epstein's neck during an autopsy after he died Aug. 10.
Such fractures are somewhat more common in cases of strangulation than in hanging.
Weingarten told the judge that when he and other defense attorneys spoke to Epstein shortly before his death "we did not see a despairing, despondent, suicidal person."
Weingarten's comments came during a proceeding where prosecutors were seeking the dismissal of child sex trafficking charges against the Epstein as a result of his death.
More than 20 alleged victims of Epstein spoke or had statements read during the hearing.
Another Epstein lawyer, Martin Weinberg, told Berman that the defense team had prepared a "significant" motion to dismiss the case, and that the lawyers were not approaching the case with a "futile, defeatist attitude."
Weingarten said Berman had a "pivotal role to find out what happened."
"We want the court to help us find out what happened," Weingarten said.
"We're skeptical of the certitude" of the finding of suicide by hanging by the New York City medical examiner, the lawyer said.
There are "significant doubts" regarding "the conclusion of suicide," Weingarten said.
But Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor, told Berman that Epstein's death was already the subject of "an ongoing and active grand jury investigation."
"It is not the purview, respectfully, of the court to conduct an investigation into uncharged matters," Comey said.
The focus of the hearing, she added, should be to allow Epstein's accusers to be heard "and to bring this case to a close."
However, Epstein's lawyers argued that there was legal precedent for the court to investigate Epstein's death.
And some of the victims' lawyers also suggested that a court-led investigation might be appropriate.
"If there is jurisdiction ... it would increase the confidence" to have the court "oversee the investigation," said Gloria Allred, the high-profile attorney who introduced new alleged victims of Epstein at the hearing.
Epstein, 66, was a former friend of Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and other celebrities, whom he entertained at his luxurious residences on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Palm Beach, Florida, and on a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Bbrhuft on August 28th, 2019 at 02:40 UTC »
Some facts about the case.
It's claimed that Epstein first attempted suicide on July 23rd, his neck was injured, in an apparent suicide attempt by hanging. At the time of his first alledged suicide attempt Epstein was sharing a cell with Nicholas Tartaglione, a 51-year-old ex-cop, accused of murdering 4 men in a drug deal gone bad.
After medical treatment, Epstein was placed on suicide watch. He was moved from the cell he shared with Tartaglione and placed a special glass windowed observation cell. He was checked every 15 minutes and the lights kept on 24/7. He was kelp in the cell on his own.
Epstein was taken off suicide watch 6 days later, on July 29th. Some sources claim that Epstein got his lawyers to say that he didn't attempt suicide, that Tartaglione "roughed him up" (Tartaglione denies this and he says he was later cleared). The prison psychologist says he examined Epstein and agreed that he could be taken off suicide watch. This psychologist also works at MDC, Brooklyn, he travels between two prisons and deals with 500 inmates with serious mental illnesses. He's busy.
Epstein placed in the Special Housing Unit of 9 South, in a cell back with Tartaglione. The cell had a bunk bed, with a ladder to the upper bunk (see this government report about MCC, New York and photos inside the Special Housing Unit).
The fact Epstein was put on suicide watch and then put back with Tartaglione suggest that the prison did think Epstein attempted suicide, he wasn't roughed up. Some sources claim that Epstein was supposed to share a cell, due to his suicide attempt, after suicide watch. But it seems he already had a cell mate and went back to sharing a cell with Tartaglione. Whatever the case, Epstein's and Tartaglione's cell on the SHU was supposed to be checked every 30 minutes.
Epstein signed his Last Will and Testament on Thursday August 8th in front of 2 lawyers, the 11 page document placed his fortune in a trust fund controlled by two close associates. On Friday 9th August 2019 the first batch of documents related to the legal case against Ghislaine Maxwell were unsealed. Also on Friday August 9th, Tartaglione was moved from the cell he shared with Epstein or Epstein was removed from the cell they shared.
There were only 18 guards in the entire jail on the night before Epstein was found dead, guarding just over 750 inmates, 2 guards per per wing, 80 prisoners per wing.
Due to staff shortages that began in 2017, due to a federal hiring freeze, since early 2018 unqualified staff e.g. teachers, nurses, were forced to fill in for prison guards at MCC.
MCC also reduced the number of guards per wing to just 2 in 2018, and indeed there were only two prison guards on Epstein's Special Housing Unit, wing 9 South, guarding the 80 inmates. One of them was not a trained prison guard. Authorities refused to say what that guard's usual duties were. One guard was on his 5 straight day of overtime and the other was on manditory overtime. They claim they were both fell asleep, didn't check on Epstein every 30 minutes as they were supposed to.
That means 40 inmates were checked every 30 minutes per guard, constantly, according to the prison. It this logistically possible?
On the morning of August 10th Epstein was found dead in his cell.
Edit: spelling
Edit 2: Added better info about the suicide watch.
thinkfast1982 on August 27th, 2019 at 23:45 UTC »
I was also highly skeptical when I heard about Esptein's lawyers killing themselves.
Wait, what day is it today? Nevermind, come back tomorrow.
Beta1548 on August 27th, 2019 at 23:36 UTC »
Literally everyone else in the country also ‘skeptical’ of suicide ruling