HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016501.jpg
1.68 MB
Extraction Summary
5
People
6
Organizations
2
Locations
3
Events
2
Relationships
4
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Legal brief / motion (page 14)
File Size:
1.68 MB
Summary
This document is page 14 of a legal brief or motion arguing for the unsealing of appellate briefs related to Jeffrey Epstein's classification as a level three sex offender. The text draws a parallel to Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's failure to prosecute Harvey Weinstein in 2015, arguing that the public has a right to scrutinize how the justice system handles 'rich and well-connected' sex offenders to ensure no impropriety or undue deference occurred. It cites legal precedents emphasizing that public access to court proceedings is essential for analyzing judicial reasoning and ensuring fairness.
People (5)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Cyrus Vance | District Attorney (Manhattan) |
Criticized for declining to charge Harvey Weinstein in 2015; mentioned regarding prosecutorial discretion and public ...
|
| Harvey Weinstein | Accused Sex Offender |
Used as a comparative example of a 'rich and well-connected sex offender' who avoided prosecution initially.
|
| Jennie Suk Gersen | Journalist/Author |
Author of the cited New Yorker article regarding DA Vance's failure to prosecute.
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| Jeffrey Epstein | Sex Offender |
Subject of the legal argument; document argues for the release of briefs regarding his status as a 'level three sex o...
|
| The Trumps | Mentioned in Citation |
Mentioned in the title of the cited New Yorker article.
|
Organizations (6)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| New Yorker |
Media outlet that reported on DA Vance.
|
|
| Manhattan District Attorney’s Office |
Prosecutorial office facing criticism.
|
|
| Globe Newspaper Co. |
Party in cited legal precedent (Globe Newspaper Co., 457 U.S. at 606).
|
|
| Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. |
Party in cited legal precedent regarding public access to court reasoning.
|
|
| FTC |
Federal Trade Commission; party in cited legal precedent.
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Implied by the footer stamp 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016501'.
|
Timeline (3 events)
2015
DA Vance declined to charge Harvey Weinstein with a sex crime despite evidence.
Manhattan, New York
Unspecified
Court issued a Decision affirming Epstein's status as a level three sex offender.
N/A
Jeffrey Epstein
The Court
Relationships (2)
Vance declined to charge Weinstein in 2015.
Document compares the handling of Weinstein to the need for transparency in Epstein's case regarding 'rich and well-connected' offenders.
Key Quotes (4)
"The people of New York have the right to scrutinize how his office treated this case involving a rich and well-connected sex offender, especially in light of allegations that other notable sexual predators have benefitted from the apparent deference of prosecutors."Source
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Quote #1
"To put it bluntly, the appellate briefs should be released immediately to avoid any impression of impropriety caused by continued secrecy."Source
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Quote #2
"There is also a strong interest in disclosing the appellate briefs to enable the public to review for itself the arguments that led this Court to issue the Decision affirming Epstein’s status as a level three sex offender."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016501.jpg
Quote #3
""[w]ithout access to the proceedings, the public cannot analyze and critique the reasoning of the court.""Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016501.jpg
Quote #4
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,151 characters)
accused of sexual abuse. As the New Yorker reported, DA Vance declined to charge Harvey
Weinstein with a sex crime in 2015 even though investigators collected ample evidence that he
had groped an actress without consent. See Jennie Suk Gersen, Why Didn't the Manhattan DA
Prosecute the Trumps or Harvey Weinstein, NEW YORKER (Oct. 13, 2017) available at
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/why-didnt-manhattan-da-cyrus-vance-prosecute-
the-trumps-or-harvey-weinstein. Even after the emergence of the #Me Too movement and the
indictment of Harvey Weinstein on rape charges, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office has
continued to face criticism for failing to prosecute the Weinstein case aggressively enough. Id.
District Attorney Vance is an elected official who wields an immense amount of discretion over
prosecutions. The people of New York have the right to scrutinize how his office treated this
case involving a rich and well-connected sex offender, especially in light of allegations that other
notable sexual predators have benefitted from the apparent deference of prosecutors. To put it
bluntly, the appellate briefs should be released immediately to avoid any impression of
impropriety caused by continued secrecy.
Weinstein with a sex crime in 2015 even though investigators collected ample evidence that he
had groped an actress without consent. See Jennie Suk Gersen, Why Didn't the Manhattan DA
Prosecute the Trumps or Harvey Weinstein, NEW YORKER (Oct. 13, 2017) available at
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/why-didnt-manhattan-da-cyrus-vance-prosecute-
the-trumps-or-harvey-weinstein. Even after the emergence of the #Me Too movement and the
indictment of Harvey Weinstein on rape charges, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office has
continued to face criticism for failing to prosecute the Weinstein case aggressively enough. Id.
District Attorney Vance is an elected official who wields an immense amount of discretion over
prosecutions. The people of New York have the right to scrutinize how his office treated this
case involving a rich and well-connected sex offender, especially in light of allegations that other
notable sexual predators have benefitted from the apparent deference of prosecutors. To put it
bluntly, the appellate briefs should be released immediately to avoid any impression of
impropriety caused by continued secrecy.
There is also a strong interest in disclosing the appellate briefs to enable the public to
review for itself the arguments that led this Court to issue the Decision affirming Epstein's status
as a level three sex offender. By ensuring public access to the courts and enabling public
discussion of the functioning of the judiciary, the news media help "the public to participate in
and serve as a check upon the judicial process – an essential component in our structure of self-
government." Globe Newspaper Co., 457 U.S. at 606. As courts have recognized time and
again, "[w]ithout access to the proceedings, the public cannot analyze and critique the reasoning
of the court." Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. v. FTC, 710 F.2d 1165, 1178 (6th Cir. 1983).
Thus, "[o]penness . . . enhances both the basic fairness of [a] trial and the appearance of fairness
review for itself the arguments that led this Court to issue the Decision affirming Epstein's status
as a level three sex offender. By ensuring public access to the courts and enabling public
discussion of the functioning of the judiciary, the news media help "the public to participate in
and serve as a check upon the judicial process – an essential component in our structure of self-
government." Globe Newspaper Co., 457 U.S. at 606. As courts have recognized time and
again, "[w]ithout access to the proceedings, the public cannot analyze and critique the reasoning
of the court." Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. v. FTC, 710 F.2d 1165, 1178 (6th Cir. 1983).
Thus, "[o]penness . . . enhances both the basic fairness of [a] trial and the appearance of fairness
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