Richy Maria Jacob
‘Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich’ is an amalgamation of different narratives. It gives an all-round perspective of Epstein’s victims and several others who have either worked against or with him. Such narratives are important to construct the image of a person who is no longer alive. What makes it even more pertinent is the fact that Epstein was accused by over 40 women of being involved in recruiting minors for lewd massages and sex trafficking.
The legal battle against Epstein met an abrupt end due to his death. Still, the case is far from being closed as the survivors, and several others are determined to identify and bring several of his co-conspirators to the arms of justice.
Who is Alan Dershowitz?
Alan Morton Dershowitz is a top lawyer and academic. Dershowitz was born in Brooklyn to an Orthodox Jewish couple. He started working at the age of 14 in a deli factory. This did not stop him from pursuing higher education and becoming a lawyer. After his studies, he worked as a clerk for David L Bazelon. Later, during his tenure at Harvard, he managed to maintain his legal practice in both civil and criminal law. He established his teaching career in 1967. Dershowitz is a media contributor, political commentator, and legal analyst. He has represented and served as a legal advisor for several high profile clients in various capacities. Some of them include O.J Simpson, Harry Reems, Julian Assange, and Harvey Weinstein.
Dershowitz has two children out of his marriage with Sue Barlach. The couple separated in 1973. He fought for the legal custody of his children though it was initially granted to Barlach and won it. Barlach reportedly passed away by drowning, almost ten years after the divorce. At present, he is married to Carolyn Cohen, who worked as a neuropsychologist. The couple has a daughter together.
In 2008, Alan Dershowitz was part of Jeffrey Epstein’s legal team with other notable lawyers. At the time, the allegations against Epstein included soliciting sex from minors. It was from this case that the controversial plea deal arose—a federal non-prosecution agreement that Dershowitz and his lawyers were able to seal for Epstein. After repeated negotiation, they were able to get Epstein off with just 18 months in prison by making him plead guilty to soliciting two minors for prostitution. In addition to this, Epstein’s co-conspirators, whether stated or not, were granted immunity from facing any charges. While there was some judgment against Dershowitz for representing Epstein, the worst was yet to come.
Lawsuits Against Alan Dershowitz
In 2014, one of Epstein’s survivors, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, from his international sex trafficking ring alleged that Alan Dershowitz had sex with her when she was a minor. Dershowitz consistently denied the claim at all junctures and continues to do so, to date. He also protested by seeking the disbarment of lawyers who filed the lawsuit. In 2015, Dershowitz was sued for defamation, and in return, he counter-sued. This was then settled in 2016 for a sum that has not been disclosed.
Later, the allegation against Prince Andrew and Dershowitz was taken off the record for having no connection with Epstein’s case re-opening. In April 2019, Giuffre filed another lawsuit against Dershowitz because he had allegedly accused her of perjury. Though he filed a motion to dismiss the suit, it was denied. However, he had also made a motion to stop David Boies from representing her, which got approved. In response to this, Boies sued Dershowitz for defamation.
Where is Alan Dershowitz Now?
Dershowitz and his wife split staying at their residences in Miami Beach, Manhattan and Martha’s Vineyard. In the documentary too, Dershowitz maintains the stance that he is innocent in the allegations made by Giuffre, and regarding his representation of Epstein, he says, “Everything that we negotiated for had to be approved by Acosta, by the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division in Washington, by the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, ultimately by the Attorney General of the United States. This went through various levels.”
In 2020, Dershowitz joined President Trump’s legal team to defend him against the impeachment trial. He made it clear that any compensation he would get out of this would go to charity. He is believed to have made notable contributions being part of the defense team, as President Trump was finally acquitted.
As of late, Dershowitz is promoting his recent book, titled, “Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the Age of #MeToo.” In this book, he tries to map out his struggles to remain innocent in accusations that deal with sexual abuse, especially in recent times. He is also very active on social media. On Twitter, he posts tweets quite occasionally. Whether it be commenting on COVID-19 or other political cases, he is updated on them all.
Read More: Where is Virginia Roberts Now?
