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

Jeffrey Epstein's home.
(Image credit: Kevin Hagen/Getty Images)

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.

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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 O'Donnell

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.