Four summers ago, Judge Richard M. Berman was contemplating whether Tom Brady would be allowed to start the season with the Patriots after playing with deflated footballs. Suffice to say, he has a bit of a bigger decision ahead of him this summer, further highlighting the absurd heights Deflategate reached.
Judge Berman is presiding over the new Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case and will decide this week whether to grant the financier bail. Epstein’s attorney said Monday he’s willing to post bail as high as $100 million and will agree with any provisions the court sets –– such as round-the-clock security monitoring, an electronic tracking device and forfeiture of his passports. Epstein’s lawyer also says his client would ground his private jet.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, argue Epstein remains a flight risk. The 66-year-old faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted on the array of sex trafficking charges levied against him in Manhattan. Last decade, Epstein served 13 months in a Florida county jail on a sweetheart plea deal after he was accused of sexually assaulting and trafficking dozens of young girls.
He’s facing similar charges in the Southern District of New York.
Judge Berman said Monday he will make a decision about Epstein’s bail on Thursday. This case seems to be a better use of his time than trying to rule whether Roger Goodell’s kangaroo court followed the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.
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