They were secret for 16 years. Now a judge has released the Epstein grand jury records A Palm Beach County judge has released the grand jury records in the 2008 Jeffrey Epstein criminal case.

A Palm Beach County judge has released the previously sealed grand jury records in the 2008 Jeffrey Epstein criminal case.

The records include the testimony of a 16-year-old girl who said that when she was 14, she was encouraged by an older friend to visit Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion, where she would receive $200 for a 40-minute massage.

Even though the Palm Beach Police Department had presented a case that included at least two dozen similar victims, the grand jury ended up indicting Epstein on two minor prostitution charges rather than the felony assault charges police had anticipated.

Because Florida law prohibits the release of grand jury records, it has been unclear what exactly led to the minor charges that stunned police at the time.

The records were under seal for 16 years until Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an order to release the files by July 1.

Judge Luis Delgado released the records and transcripts.