Judge overseeing Jeffrey Epstein-related suit dies of old age

[Borealis]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/25/judge-jeffrey-epstein-case-dies-1292394

An elderly federal judge presiding over a key lawsuit relating to financier pedophile Jeffrey Epstein died Sunday, adding another twist to the drawn-out legal saga and to efforts to
unseal still-secret details about the conduct of Epstein, his enablers and one of his accusers.

Manhattan-based U.S. District Court Judge Robert Sweet passed away Sunday at age 96, the court announced. Sweet was appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, confirmed
that same year and continued to hear and rule on cases through the last few months.

Sweet was assigned to a lawsuit that emerged from the aftermath of Epstein’s controversial plea deal a decade ago, in which he escaped federal charges by pleading guilty to two
prostitution-related offenses in state court. Epstein ended up spending 13 months in jail, with daily furloughs that allowed him to work in his office.

At an argument session earlier this month, three 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals judges seemed to view the secrecy in the suit as excessive and unjustified. All the judges on the panel
appeared to favor making some records from the case public soon, but there was some discussion about the process for considering opening all the records. One question debated at
the argument was whether Sweet should oversee that process or whether it should be handed over to another judge. That question is now moot.

[Sableye]

just another facepalm for the case of a man who ran a teenage girl sex slave ring and pretty much got away with it.