EFTA00214939.pdf

U.S. Department of Justice United States Attorney Southern District of Florida West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Facsimile: October 2007 DELIVERY BY FACSIMILE The Hon. Edward B. Davis (Ret.) Akerman Senterfitt Re: Service as a Special Master Dear Judge Davis: Thank you for agreeing to serve as a Special Master and for assisting the United States Attorney's Office in the selection of an attorney representative to represent a group of identified victims. This letter is meant to assist you in performing your duties by providing you with background information regarding the agreement between the United States and Jeffrey Epstein and the duties that the attorney representative will have to perform. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney's Office conducted an investigation of Mr. Epstein. As a result of that investigation, the U.S. Attorney's Office and Mr. Epstein entered into an agreement that contains the following terms: The U.S. Attorney's Office shall provide Epstein's attorneys with a list of individuals whom it has identified as victims, as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2255, after Epstein has signed this agreement and been sentenced. Upon the execution of this agreement, the United States, in consultation with and subject to the good faith approval of Epstein's counsel, shall select an attorney representative for these persons, who shall be paid for by Epstein. Epstein's counsel may contact the identified individuals through that representative. If any of the individuals referred to [in the paragraph above] elects to file suit pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2255, Epstein will not contest the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida over his person and/or the subject matter, and Epstein waives his right to contest liability and also waives his right to contest damages up to an amount agreed to between Epstein and the identified individual, so long as the identified individual elects to proceed exclusively under 18 U.S.C. § 2255, and agrees to waive any other claim for damages, whether pursuant to state, federal, or common law. Notwithstanding this waiver, with respect to those individuals whose names appear on the list provided by the United States, Epstein's signature on this agreement, his waivers and failures to contest liability and such damages in any suit are not to be construed as an admission of any criminal or civil liability. Epstein's signature on this agreement also is not to be construed admission of civil or criminal liability or a waiver of any jurisdictional or other defense as to any person whose name does not appear on the list provided by the United States. Except as to those individuals who elect to proceed exclusively under 18 U.S.C. § 2255, as set forth in [the above paragraphs], neither Epstein's signature on this agreement, nor its terms, nor any resulting waivers or settlements by Epstein are to be construed as admissions or evidence of civil or criminal liability or a waiver of EFTA00214939 any jurisdictional or other defense as to any person, whether or not her name appears on the list provided by the United States. The most recent version of the statute referenced above, 18 U.S.C. § 2255, provides that: Any person who, while a minor, was a victim of a violation of section . . . 2422 or 2423 of this title and who suffers personal injury as a result of such violation, regardless of whether the injury occurred while such person was a minor, may sue in any appropriate United States District Court and shall recover the actual damages such person sustains and the cost of the suit, including a reasonable attorney's fee. Any person as described in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to have sustained damages of no less than $150,000 in value. Section 2422 prohibits the use of a facility of interstate commerce to induce minors to engage in sexual activity and prostitution, and section 2423 prohibits interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity or prostitution with minors. The United States has identified victims as defined by this statute. Due to the circumstances of the case and the number and caliber of the attorneys who represent Mr. Epstein, in selecting the victims' attorney representative, the United States suggests that you consider the following criteria: I. Experience doing both plaintiffs' and defense litigation. I. Experience with state and federal statutory and common law tort claims. 1. The ability to communicate effectively with young women (the victims' current ages are between 16 and 24). 1. Employment with a firm large enough to handle the possibility of at least a dozen trials at the same time. 1. Experience litigating against large law firms and high profile attorneys. I. Sensitivity to the nature of the suit and the victims' interest in maintaining their privacy. I. Experience litigating in federal court in the Southern District of Florida. I. The resources to hire experts and others, while working on a contingency fee basis, in order to prepare for trial, if a settlement cannot be reached. I. The ability to negotiate effectively. After you have reached a decision regarding the attorney, please provide me with his or her name and contact information. I can then work with him or her to run a conflicts check with the victims' names. Assuming there is no conflict, I can provide the attorney's contact information to the victims and inform them that the attorney representative will be contacting each of them to confer on the best way to proceed in her individual case. If I can provide you with any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you again for your assistance with this matter. Sincerely, R. Alexander Acosta United States Attorney By: First Assistant United States Attorney cc: AUSA EFTA00214940