Judge sides with prosecutors over treatment of Epstein’s pal
Associated PressNEW YORK — Prosecutors won’t have to immediately divulge the identities of three women who say financier Jeffrey Epstein and his ex-girlfriend conspired to sexually abuse when they were teenagers, a judge said Tuesday. Defense lawyers were premature in asking that she force the government to name the accusers of Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan said in an order. Lawyers for Maxwell had asked the Manhattan jurist to force prosecutors to reveal the identities of the women, saying they needed sufficient time to investigate the allegations and prepare for a July 12 trial. Prosecutors opposed the request, saying they wanted to protect the privacy of victims of sexual abuse and because of their concerns that defense lawyers might try to use information from the criminal case in civil litigation involving Maxwell.