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.
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