Paul Cassell, former federal judge and attorney for Epstein survivors, gives sworn deposition testimony about challenging Epstein’s 2008 non-prosecution deal and statements about Alan Dershowitz. He recounts how allegations emerged, how media and court filings shaped advocacy, explains claims of blackmail and power imbalances, and defends his conduct as victim-centered legal work.
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insights INSIGHT
Epstein's Operation Was Built To Create Blackmail
Paul Cassell frames Epstein's recruitment as a system designed to create blackmail leverage over powerful people.
He explains Epstein had victims describe sexual encounters so the organization could obtain disclosureable information to threaten and extract favors.
insights INSIGHT
Victims Lack The Resources To Match Traffickers
Cassell rejects the idea that a trafficking victim and a billionaire trafficker have equal power to publicize abuse.
He emphasizes resource asymmetry and the ability of powerful actors to retaliate against victims who speak out.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Media Firestorm Prompted Defensive Interview Attempts
Cassell recounts immediate media fallout after the December 30, 2014 pleading naming Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz.
He says Dershowitz publicly attacked the victim, prompting Cassell as her attorney to seek an ABC News interview to respond to the media assault.
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In the Broward County defamation litigation CACE 15-000072, the deposition at issue is sworn testimony from Paul Cassell, one of the attorneys representing Epstein survivors and a former federal judge. Cassell’s deposition focuses on his role in challenging the 2008 federal Non-Prosecution Agreement granted to Jeffrey Epstein, and on statements he made publicly about Alan Dershowitz that later became the basis for Dershowitz’s defamation claims. Cassell explains the factual foundation for his remarks, emphasizing that they were rooted in court filings, sworn victim testimony, investigative reporting, and contemporaneous evidence. He details how survivors’ allegations against Dershowitz emerged, how they were evaluated by legal teams, and why he believed it was appropriate and accurate to reference them in public advocacy surrounding Epstein’s secret plea deal. Cassell consistently frames his conduct as part of his duty to represent victims and expose prosecutorial misconduct, not as a personal attack.
The deposition also addresses Dershowitz’s accusation that Cassell acted recklessly or with malice, which Cassell firmly rejects. He testifies that he never fabricated claims, never coached witnesses to lie, and never acted outside ethical or professional boundaries. Cassell underscores that his statements reflected allegations already made under oath by victims and contained in legal records, and that suppressing discussion of those allegations would further harm survivors. Throughout the testimony, Cassell situates the dispute within the larger Epstein cover-up, arguing that the real issue is not reputational discomfort among the powerful but the systemic failure to protect exploited minors. The deposition ultimately functions as a defense of victim-centered advocacy and transparency, directly countering Dershowitz’s narrative that survivor allegations were invented, coerced, or irresponsibly amplified.
The Vault: The Epstein Files