Question
What did Alan Dershowitz write or say about Jeffrey Epstein?
Answer
Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard Law School professor emeritus and prominent criminal defense attorney, was a member of Jeffrey Epstein’s legal team in the 2007–2008 federal proceedings and a long-standing defender of Epstein’s character.
Dershowitz publicly argued that the 2008 non-prosecution agreement was appropriate given what he described as the strength of Epstein’s defense. He defended the deal in media appearances for years, including after the 2018 Miami Herald investigation that brought widespread scrutiny to the NPA’s terms and the conduct of prosecutors.
After Virginia Giuffre alleged in 2019 court filings that Dershowitz had been one of the men she was trafficked to, Dershowitz launched an aggressive counter-campaign. He gave numerous television interviews, filed defamation suits against Giuffre’s attorneys, and in 2019 published a book titled “Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the Age of #MeToo,” in which he categorically denied the allegations and argued he was the victim of a false accusation campaign.
The litigation between Dershowitz and Giuffre’s legal team ran for several years. Documents unsealed from the Maxwell-related proceedings made public additional material relevant to the allegations. The litigation ultimately settled in 2023 with Giuffre acknowledging she may have been mistaken about Dershowitz — a statement Dershowitz characterized as a full vindication.
Sources
- Alan Dershowitz, “Guilt by Accusation” (2019)
- Giuffre v. Dershowitz unsealed court documents
- Maxwell trial evidence and documents, 2021