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Extracted Text (OCR)
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The government seeks to minimize the split as of
“limited importance” because “the scope of a plea or
similar agreement is under the control of the parties
to the agreement.” Opp.14. This turns a blind eye
to the problem. The very premise of Petitioner’s
argument is that the parties to the NPA did seek to
control the scope of the relevant clauses by narrowing
the scope of immunity for Epstein through the use of
narrow language specifying enforceability only in the
Southern District of Florida, and then expanding the
scope of it as to his co-conspirators by using the broad
term “the United States.” (App. 30-31). While doing so,
Epstein’s lawyers were no doubt informed by how that
language was interpreted in the jurisdiction in which
they were practicing.
Yet by definition, the issue presented in this case
and every other like it only arises when the language
in question is being interpreted in a different
jurisdiction than the one where the agreement was
negotiated. Accordingly, uniformity in interpretation
of such a provision is unusually and particularly
compelling. The very nature of a clause of this nature
(unlike most other clauses in an agreement, which are
not cross-jurisdictional in nature) cries out for
nationwide symmetry.
The government also contends, rather bizarrely, that
“this is not itself a case that turns on any default rule.”
Opp.14. To the contrary, it is precisely the Second
Circuit’s default rule, adopted in United States v.
Annabi, 771 F.2d 670 (2d Cir. 1985), that doomed
Petitioner to stand trial on a case that would have been
dismissed outright in at least half the country. The
primary reason this Court should grant certiorari is to
create one single default rule across the country as to
DOJ-OGR-00000247