ee Firtuy Ricu | ecutors presented Epstein a | well-known legal experts. One member of the defense jus state felony charges (that team warned me that the office’s excess zeal in forcing a prisonment, registration as a good “ae to bate time in jail might be the subject of a ation for the victims) or else . book if we continued to proceed with the matter. My ‘val 7, office systematically considered and rejected each argu- sar-long assault on the prose- 1 q ment, and when we did, my office’s decisions were -_Luse the word assault inten- ] ; appealed to Washington. As to the warning, | ignored it. this case was more aggressive j q The defense strategy was not limited to legal issues. prosecutors in my office, had 1 4 Defense counsel tavestigater individual ennai and fr. Epstein hired an army of q their families, looking for personal peccadilloes that may ‘rofessor Alan Dershowitz, for- 4 q provide a basis for disqualification. Disqualifying a pros- -dine Law Dean Kenneth Starr, a E ecutor is an effective (though rarely used) strategy, as 5 the President and then Kirk- a 4 eliminating the individuals most familiar with the facts _efkowitz, and several others, a q and thus most qualified to take a case to trial harms like- o had formerly worked in the a Q lihood for success. Defense counsel tried to disqualify at in the Child Exploitation and q q least two prosecutors. I carefully reviewed, and then Justice Department. Defense ‘e 4 rejected, aera arguments. | meeting with me to challenge q q Despite the army of attorneys, the office held firm to terms previously presented by a j the terms first presented to Mr. Black in the original meeting with Mr. Black. The q 4 meeting. On June 30, 2008, after yet another last minute et with defense counsel in Fall q 4 appeal to Washington D.C. was rejected, Epstein pled he office’s position: two years, 3 4 guilty in state court. He was to serve 18 months impris- ay, ents q » onment, register as a sexual offender for life, and provide