Judge Richard M. Berman is a senior U.S. District Judge in the Southern District of New York. He was assigned to the 2019 Jeffrey Epstein federal sex trafficking case and presided over the bail hearings.
Bail Denial: Judge Berman presided over Epstein’s bail hearings on July 15 and July 18, 2019. On July 18, he denied bail, ordering Epstein held without bail pending trial at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Reasoning: Berman found that no bail package, including the proposed .5 million bond with private security and GPS monitoring, was sufficient given Epstein’s flight risk (evidenced by the foreign passport found in his safe), the seriousness of the charges, and the danger to the community.
Victim Participation: The bail hearings were notable for including survivor Courtney Wild’s statement, which Judge Berman allowed an unusual but legally significant step.
After Epstein’s Death: Following Epstein’s death on August 10, 2019, the case was dismissed by the SDNY. The case against Ghislaine Maxwell was handled by Judge Alison Nathan.
Background: Judge Berman was appointed to the federal bench by President Clinton in 1998 and has handled numerous significant cases in the SDNY over his tenure.