By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Scope Song
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 7 – After Jeffrey Epstein reportedly committed suicide in the Metropolitan Correctional Center on November 25, 2019 a trial date of April 20, 2020 was set for two MCC officers Tova Noel and Michael Thomas by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Analisa Torres.
On January 30, 2020, after a heated discussion of defense lawyers' rights to go on vacation, the trial was postponed first to June 8, then to June 22. Inner City Press live-tweeted thread here and below. More on Patreon here.
Now on January 6, 2026 DOJ has asked to unseal grand jury transcripts in the case, under the Epstein Files Transparency Act - 3 page filing on Patreon here
On January 7 Judge Torres docketed: "If Defendants object to the Government's motion, by January 14, 2026, they shall file a letter on the docket indicating the basis of the objection."
Back on May 25, 2021 Judge Analisa Torres help a short proceeding and approved the deferred prosecution agreements. Inner City Press live tweeted it, here and below.
On December 30, 2021, the day after Epstein's co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of five of the six sex trafficking counts against her, the SDNY US Attorney's Office filed as to Tova Noel and Michael Thomas a Nolle Prosequi entirely disposing of the case against them. Closing the books..
Inner City Press asked: if the dead prisoner were like most of those kept in the MCC, would anyone have been charged? We'll have more on this. More on Patreon here.
Other defense lawyers exclusively complained to Inner City Press about not being able to see on a timely basis their clients in the MCC. Now what will be done about the MCC's (lack of) supervision, including by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Richard M. Berman?
Epstein had shifts of lawyers purporting to meet with him all day, in a room where the other Criminal Justice Act lawyers said Epstein had access to the Internet. The CJA lawyers had to wait up to four hours to see their clients.
"It's outrageous," one of the lawyers told Inner City Press. "El Chapo is the only other one who tried this, but he was in a special unit so it didn't impact the rest of us." More on Patreon here.
Other child sex defendants have conditions that they cannot use the Internet. They are also supervised, especially but not only when on suicide watch. But with Epstein paying lawyers to meet with him all day in the MCC, he was allowed to use the 'Net and presumably more.
Inner City Press will continue to cover this and other SDNY and 2nd Circuit cases - watch this site, and there is more on Patreon, here.
This case is USA v. Noel, et al., 1:19-cr-830 (Torres)
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