For years, the transcripts and evidence from the 2006 Palm Beach County grand jury — convened to investigate Epstein’s alleged sexual exploitation of minors — remained sealed under Florida’s strict grand jury secrecy rules. Media organizations (notably the Palm Beach Post) and public interest groups repeatedly sought access, arguing that the public needed transparency about why only a single solicitation-of-prostitution charge was returned despite far more serious allegations. These petitions were denied by lower courts, which held that under existing law, judges lacked authority to override the secrecy protections. That changed when Florida’s Legislature in 2024 passed HB 117, a law tailored to allow disclosure of grand jury materials in cases involving sexual activity with minors and deceased defendants. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law, making it possible (beginning July 1, 2024) for a judge to order release of those previously sealed transcripts.

In July 2024, Palm Beach Circuit Judge Luis Delgado ordered the release of about 150 pages of those transcripts. The unsealed records showed that prosecutors had presented testimony from two alleged underage victims, police officers, and others — but rather than focusing squarely on Epstein’s alleged abuse, the questioning at times shifted toward whether the victims themselves could face criminal liability. The transcripts also confirmed prosecutors had been aware of rape and trafficking allegations well before Epstein’s 2008 plea deal, fueling arguments that the case was deliberately undercharged to shield him. Even after this release, large portions of the records remained redacted, leaving critics to argue that the state had still not provided full accountability.



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