Yes — the initial criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein was pursued at the state level in Florida. The interaction between state and federal jurisdiction is a key part of understanding how the 2008 non-prosecution agreement was structured.
The state investigation:
Palm Beach Police investigated Epstein beginning in 2005 and referred the case to Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer. Krischer’s office convened a grand jury, which returned an indictment in 2006. The state indictment charged Epstein with one count of solicitation of prostitution — a relatively minor charge considered far inadequate relative to the evidence.
The federal takeover:
U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta and the DOJ then took jurisdiction of the case. The federal non-prosecution agreement signed in 2008 required Epstein to plead guilty to state-level charges only — specifically two charges in Florida state court: solicitation of prostitution and procurement of a minor for prostitution.
How the NPA shielded from state charges:
Under the agreement, Epstein registered as a sex offender in Florida, served a 13-month sentence (with extensive work release), and received sweeping immunity for himself and unnamed co-conspirators from further federal prosecution. However, the immunity was specifically federal immunity — theoretically leaving state authorities free to prosecute.
No Florida state prosecution beyond the 2008 plea charges was pursued. State Attorney Krischer came under significant criticism for not pursuing more aggressive charges initially.
Post-2019:
After Epstein’s 2019 arrest by federal authorities in New York, Florida authorities did open a new investigation. However, Epstein died in August 2019 before any further state charges were filed.