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2.82 MB
Extraction Summary
11
People
6
Organizations
2
Locations
3
Events
3
Relationships
5
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
News article / media clipping (palm beach post) within house oversight report
File Size:
2.82 MB
Summary
This document contains a Palm Beach Post article from August 2006 discussing the conflict between Police Chief Michael Reiter and State Attorney Barry Krischer regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case. It details Reiter's push for more serious charges against Epstein, the subsequent plea deal controversy, and personal attacks launched by Epstein's legal team against Reiter, including references to his divorce. The text criticizes the justice system's preferential treatment of wealthy defendants like Epstein.
People (11)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Epstein | Accused Financier |
Accused of sex offenses, subject of plea deal controversy, age 53.
|
| Jack Goldberger | Defense Attorney |
Member of Epstein's legal team, West Palm Beach based.
|
| Alan Dershowitz | Defense Attorney |
Harvard Law Professor, member of Epstein's legal team, previously defended O.J. Simpson.
|
| Kenneth Starr | Defense Attorney |
Member of Epstein's legal team, former prosecutor of Bill Clinton.
|
| Barry Krischer | State Attorney |
Criticized for handling of the case, sending it to grand jury instead of charging directly, and being swayed by Epste...
|
| Lanna Belohlavek | Assistant State Attorney |
Commented on potential sentencing guidelines (21 months).
|
| Larry Keller | Staff Writer |
Author of the article 'Police chief's reputation helps discredit attacks'.
|
| Michael Reiter | Palm Beach Police Chief |
Age 48, pushed for serious charges against Epstein, criticized by Epstein's lawyers, undergoing divorce.
|
| Jill Reiter | Spouse |
Wife of Michael Reiter, in divorce proceedings.
|
| Bill Clinton | Former President |
Mentioned only to establish Kenneth Starr's background.
|
| O.J. Simpson | Former Defendant |
Mentioned only to establish Alan Dershowitz's background.
|
Organizations (6)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach Police |
Investigated Epstein for 11 months.
|
|
| State Attorney's Office |
Prosecuting body led by Barry Krischer.
|
|
| Harvard Law School |
Affiliation of Alan Dershowitz.
|
|
| Palm Beach Post |
Publisher of the article.
|
|
| myspace.com |
Website where victims allegedly chatted about drugs/alcohol.
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Implied by footer stamp HOUSE_OVERSIGHT.
|
Timeline (3 events)
2005-2006
August 16, 2006
Locations (2)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
Location of police department and Epstein's residence.
|
|
|
Location of attorney Jack Goldberger.
|
Relationships (3)
Reiter slammed Krischer in blunt language and urged his disqualification via letter.
Listed as part of Epstein's legal team.
Listed as part of Epstein's legal team.
Key Quotes (5)
"The slow, dissatisfying resolution of the case sends a message to the public that there's a different system of justice for the wealthy who hire high-powered lawyers."Source
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Quote #1
"Epstein preyed on girls and denied it. For three years, his wealth and the influence of his lawyers bought him the protection the state attorney owed to the victims."Source
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Quote #2
"Epstein, 53, was indicted last month on a charge of felony solicitation of prostitution solely because of Reiter's 'craziness,' one of Epstein's lawyers said."Source
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Quote #3
"loose cannon better suited to be the sheriff of Mayberry"Source
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Quote #4
"I must urge you to... consider if good and sufficient reason exists to require your disqualification from the prosecution of these cases."Source
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Quote #5
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (3,838 characters)
The slow, dissatisfying resolution of the case sends a message to the public that there's a different system of justice for the wealthy who hire high-powered lawyers. Epstein's legal team included West Palm Beach defense attorney Jack Goldberger, Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz, who defended O.J. Simpson against murder charges, and Kenneth Starr, the prosecutor who pursued then-President Bill Clinton for lying about sex with young women.
Palm Beach police spent 11 months investigating Epstein before State Attorney Barry Krischer sent the case to a grand jury, instead of charging Epstein so the man who once boasted of accepting only billionaire clients could face a trial. The police had taken a high school transcript, class schedules and phone messages from Epstein's home that showed he knew the girls were underage. Yet Mr. Krischer was more swayed by Epstein's lawyers, who attempted to impugn the girls' character by showing they had chatted on myspace.com about smoking marijuana and drinking. He should have let a jury decide whether the victims - and Epstein - were credible.
Ultimately, one charge against Epstein finally reflected the age of one victim, and the plea agreement left Epstein labeled a sex offender. With that additional charge, if Epstein had been convicted at a trial, he could have been sentenced to anything from probation to 15 years in prison, Assistant State Attorney Lanna Belohlavek said, adding that the recommended guideline sentence was 21 months.
Epstein also won't have to certify to the court that he is receiving counseling, typically required of sex offenders, because he has a private psychiatrist. But without court supervision, who will ensure Epstein is in fact being treated?
The plea deal also drops a federal investigation of Epstein. If a federal investigation was warranted, how does dropping it before completion benefit the public?
Epstein preyed on girls and denied it. For three years, his wealth and the influence of his lawyers bought him the protection the state attorney owed to the victims.
Police chief's reputation helps discredit attacks
By Larry Keller
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 14, 2006
By Larry Keller
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 14, 2006
In the case of Palm Beach financier Jeffrey Epstein, it seems, at times, as if two men are accused of wrongdoing: Epstein and Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter.
Epstein, 53, was indicted last month on a charge of felony solicitation of prostitution solely because of Reiter's "craziness," one of Epstein's lawyers said. His department disseminated "a distorted view of the case" and behaved in a "childish" manner when the grand jury didn't indict Epstein on the charges it sought, another Epstein lawyer complained. To hear the Epstein camp tell it, Reiter, 48, is a loose cannon better suited to be the sheriff of Mayberry. They whisper that he's embroiled in a messy divorce.
Reiter did in fact file for divorce from his wife, Jill, last year, after 24 years of marriage. They have a son, 18, and a daughter, 14. The couple is scheduled to go to mediation next week, Aug. 16. Nothing in the court file suggests their split is particularly ugly.
Reiter incurred the wrath of the Epstein camp as well as the state attorney's office for two reasons. First, he pressed for Epstein to be charged with the more serious crimes of sexual activity with minors. Second, he slammed State Attorney Barry Krischer in blunt language seldom used by one law-enforcement official concerning another because of what he perceived as that office's mishandling of the case.
In a letter to Krischer written May 1, Reiter called his actions in the Epstein case "highly unusual." He added, "I must urge you to... consider if good and sufficient reason exists to require your disqualification from the prosecution of these cases."
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