Jeffrey Epstein’s victims just got one big step closer to justice

| 9:09 am EDT July 19, 2019
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Martin Luther King once famously wrote that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.” He wasn’t the first to invoke those words, and he unfortunately wasn’t the last, as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal serves as a reminder of just how long justice can be unjustly delayed. But belated as it may be, Epstein’s victims just got one big step closer to justice.

Jeffrey Epstein was arrested two weeks ago for crimes he committed the better part of two decades ago. We know he committed the crimes because he cut a plea deal several years ago and he pleaded guilty to a reduced version of the charges. But the “punishment” he received, which consisted of some months in a work release prison, was more akin to what you’d expect for a petty criminal, not a serial child rapist. The big question heading into this week was whether Epstein was going to be able to use his wealth and power to avoid actual imprisonment again.

As of yesterday, we have an answer: Epstein has been denied bail. He offered to put up a huge chunk of his fortune as collateral, and the courts still told him to get comfy in his jail cell instead. He’ll be there through the end of his trial, and if he’s convicted, he’ll be moved to a long-term prison for what will likely be the rest of his life. What stands out here is that Epstein doesn’t get to roam free, on any level, ahead of his trial.

Why does that part matter? There have long been accusations that Jeffrey Epstein used his wealth and power to intimidate or harass victims and witnesses. Some of his victims have surely remained silent all these years out of fear, and now they’re trying to make the difficult decision to pick up the phone and call the FBI, in the hope of ensuring that he gets hit with even more charges. Maybe that nightmarish decision becomes just a bit easier with the knowledge that Epstein is locked away and can’t do anything to anyone who comes forward. It’s a big step closer to justice – though it’ll only truly become justice if Epstein spends the rest of his life in a cell.