NEW YORK (AP) – Secret grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 sex trafficking case are set to be made public following a ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman on Wednesday. This decision aligns with those made by two other judges who have also granted the Justice Department’s requests to unseal materials relating to investigations into Epstein's sexual abuse activities.

Judge Berman reversed his prior ruling to keep the documents confidential, citing a newly enacted law that mandates the government to disclose records concerning Epstein and his long-time associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Although he indicated that the approximately 70 pages of grand jury materials expected to be released contain limited information and are primarily hearsay regarding Epstein's conduct, the ruling reflects a significant shift towards transparency.

On the preceding Tuesday, another federal judge in Manhattan ordered the release of records from Maxwell's 2021 sex trafficking trial. Furthermore, a Florida judge recently approved the unsealing of transcripts from a federal grand jury investigation into Epstein that took place in the 2000s but was later abandoned.

The Justice Department has urged the judiciary to lift existing secrecy orders since the passing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump last month. This legislation creates an exception to standard rules that safeguard grand jury proceedings' confidentiality, necessitating the release of Epstein-related materials by December 19.

The court records now authorized for release represent only a fraction of the extensive trove of evidence collected by the government, which could include tens of thousands of pages comprising FBI notes, reports, witness interview transcripts, photographs, videos, flight logs, and Epstein's autopsy report.

While Epstein's estate has stated its neutrality towards the Justice Department's request, many of Epstein's victims have expressed support for the release. Lawyer Sigrid McCawley, representing some of the victims, expressed that the rulings are a crucial step towards transparency and accountability, addressing the longstanding obscurity surrounding the operations of Epstein’s sex trafficking network. Another attorney, Brad Edwards, noted the importance of victim protection during this process but cautioned that the materials from the grand jury might be relatively inconsequential overall.

Questions regarding the Epstein files have loomed large during Trump’s second term, particularly after he failed to fulfill a campaign promise to release these documents. Although some materials were made public during Trump's administration, most of it was previously known, leading to disappointment among critics and some supporters.

In his ruling, Judge Berman affirmed the intent of the transparency law to ensure public access to grand jury materials, stating it unequivocally supersedes the usual confidentiality attached to such documents. He underscored the necessity for the Justice Department to meticulously adhere to the law's privacy provisions, emphasizing the paramount importance of protecting victims' identities.

In court documents, the Justice Department indicated that the sole witness who testified before the Epstein grand jury was an FBI agent whose knowledge was limited and whose testimony largely consisted of hearsay. This agent testified on two separate occasions in June and July 2019. The grand jury proceedings included a PowerPoint presentation and four pages of call logs, culminating in an indictment against Epstein.

Epstein, a wealthy financier known for his connections with celebrities and various elites, died by suicide in jail shortly after his arrest in July 2019. Ghislaine Maxwell, a close associate of Epstein, was found guilty in December 2021 of sex trafficking and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

In previous rulings regarding the unsealing of documents from Maxwell’s case, her legal team argued that doing so could prejudice her rights and undermine her ability to file a habeas corpus petition to challenge her conviction. The Supreme Court recently declined to consider Maxwell's appeal, ensuring that the details of these cases remain in the public eye moving forward.

Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who approved the release of Maxwell’s records, cautioned against over-expectation, stating that these materials do not implicate anyone beyond Epstein and Maxwell in sexual offenses against minors.