Landmark CVRA Ruling - Judge Marra Finds NPA Violated Victims' Rights

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA Case No. 08-80736-CIV-MARRA ORDER Judge Kenneth A. Marra This Court finds that the Government violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act (CVRA), 18 U.S.C. § 3771, by entering into the Non-Prosecution Agreement without conferring with or notifying the victims. FINDINGS: 1. The Government was required under the CVRA to confer with victims before entering the NPA 2. The Government failed to do so 3. The agreement to keep the NPA confidential from victims was itself a violation 4. Victims had a right to be treated fairly and with dignity BACKGROUND: In 2007, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, led by then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement with Jeffrey Epstein. This agreement was kept secret from identified victims. Multiple victims filed suit under the CVRA arguing they were denied their statutory rights. IMPACT: This ruling was a key factor in the reopening of the federal investigation that led to the 2019 indictment in the Southern District of New York. Alexander Acosta subsequently resigned as U.S. Secretary of Labor in July 2019 due to renewed scrutiny of the NPA. Source: S.D. Florida Court Records Available at: https://www.justice.gov/epstein/court-records