US judge cancels hearing after deal to protect Epstein victims

A federal judge canceled a scheduled court hearing after the US Justice Department reached a last-minute agreement to protect the identities of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, following widespread redaction failures in a massive document release.

US District Judge Richard M. Berman said Tuesday that lawyers for Epstein survivors and the Justice Department resolved privacy concerns after what victims' attorney Brittany Henderson described as "extensive and constructive discussions."

"We trust that the deficiencies will be corrected expeditiously and in a manner that protects victims from further harm," Henderson said in a letter filed with the court.

Berman said he was "pleased but not surprised" that the parties were able to resolve the issues and canceled a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Manhattan federal court.

The agreement followed the release last week of more than 3 million Epstein-related files. Victims' lawyers said thousands of documents exposed names, photographs, email addresses and banking details.

In a filing Monday, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said the department removed "several thousand documents and media" because of "technical or human error" and revised its redaction protocols.

Victims told the court the disclosures were devastating. One said the release was "life-threatening," while another reported receiving death threats after her financial information was made public.

The records stem from federal sex trafficking investigations into Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial, and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence following her 2021 conviction in New York.