Jeffrey Epstein's death will end criminal proceedings, but civil cases will continue


The criminal case against millionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein has reportedly ended as a result of his death by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell.
Because no one else was charged in the indictment, which consisted of allegations that Epstein had been sex trafficking minors for years, there will not be a public trial and evidence collected via a grand jury subpoena will not be released to the public.
However, that does not mean additional information regarding Epstein's alleged wrongdoing won't eventually come to light. Civil cases and non-criminal investigations involving allegations against Epstein will likely bring more clarity to the situation.
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For example, Attorney Lisa Bloom, who represents a number of Epstein's accusers, said in a statement that "we're just getting started." Bloom said she will continue with civil case proceedings.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the controversial plea deal Epstein received from former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta in 2008 when Acosta was a federal prosecutor in Florida reportedly should not be affected by Epstein's death. Tim O'Donnell
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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
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