HAVING FILED SARAH RANSOME’S CIVIL lawsuit, we turned back to Virginia’s case against Ghislaine Maxwell, which was heating up for a trial set to begin on May 15, 2017. Our witnesses were lined up, our exhibits were ready, and we had already booked our hotels in New York for a month, including a large war room at the hotel across the street from the courthouse. The defense strategy had to be to try to exclude as much of the testimony and evidence as possible. They didn’t really have more to hang their hats on.
There was one last deposition that we were going to take—Maxwell’s, again. Because she refused to answer certain questions during her previous depositions, her next deposition was set to take place in the courtroom with the judge serving as a special master. This deposition was set for the week before the trial, so it goes without saying that we were prepared.
While the protection of other victims was and always will be our main priority, our witnesses were ready to testify, and the truth about Epstein was finally going to become public. After decades, the justice system was going to expose Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.
In the week leading up to Maxwell’s final deposition, hearings had also been scheduled by the court to address last-minute legal issues. Amid the chaos, a final mediation was scheduled so that the parties could take one last shot at a resolution before embarking on what was sure to be an explosive and costly legal battle.
Without consideration for the mediation, Sigrid and I continued to prepare for trial. We had more than one thousand exhibits to get in order and countless witnesses to line up. It was a massive event to put together, with our team working around the clock to get us ready. In my mind, there was no chance the case was going to settle. As a formality, nonetheless, Virginia arrived in New York early for mediation that was set to take place May 3, 2017. Sigrid and I didn’t have time to be at mediation, so Stan and David went without us.
To this day, it pains me to think about this next part. I got a surprising late-night call from Stan. It was over. The case had settled on the eve of Maxwell’s deposition, just days away from our arrival at the courthouse steps.
Because the details of the settlement had not been finalized and we knew by now that anything could happen, Sigrid and I continued to prepare for trial. We boarded our flights to New York for the hearing that was set to take place before Maxwell’s final deposition. By the time we landed, the paperwork was signed, and the remaining obligations were canceled. Rather than turn around and go home, Sigrid and I met David and Stan at Cipriani in New York to discuss the events that had unfolded in the last few days. Sensing what I’m sure was my obvious frustration, David said to me, “I know that this is not the ending you were hoping for, but it’s a great resolution for Virginia.” He wasn’t wrong. Virginia was happy, although she is a fighter and she was a little torn as well. Her perseverance had already caused the Epstein/Maxwell wall to crumble and she didn’t need a trial to continue speaking her truth. She had proven herself. She had already won that round. Big time.
On the other hand, there was still a feeling of emptiness. I couldn’t bring myself to say more than a few words the whole dinner. I left the restaurant uncertain where to go. I don’t think I spoke a word until I got back to Florida the next morning. There were still unresolved issues for me. Jeffrey Epstein was still free.
The universe must have been sensing my inner turmoil because on June 9, 2017, while I was still sulking about the trial that never happened, the Florida Supreme Court resurrected my personal case against Epstein. This was huge for so many reasons. We had been about to go to trial back in 2013 when that chance was stolen right out from under me by some crazy legal opinion that turned the tables, creating a real risk that Epstein would be a massive creditor of mine with every incentive in the world to destroy me. Rather than bail on the case when I had the chance, as nearly everyone had encouraged me to do, I risked it all hoping that one day the court would rule in my favor and give me a chance to finish what I started. Today was that day.
We were going back to the trial court with my case against Epstein for the malicious prosecution that he had instituted against me in 2009. At least with my case, I could control the client. I was the client. The difficulty was that I didn’t get to be the lawyer in this case. I did learn that, for me, it was much easier to be the lawyer. However, being the client in two very contentious cases has allowed me to better understand the vantage point of my own clients. It’s not an easy position.
Between Sarah’s case, and now my personal case, I had legal reason to continue my investigation of Epstein. This helped me get over the fact that he slipped out of the exposure that would have come from the Maxwell trial.