Attorney Warns Epstein Settlement Could Shut Out Future Survivors (9/28/26)

A St. Croix attorney, Russell Pate, objected to a proposed class-action settlement that would resolve sexual assault and trafficking claims against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate and sharply limit future lawsuits tied to Epstein’s crimes. The proposed deal would cover claims dating from January 1, 1995, through Epstein’s death on August 10, 2019, while releasing the estate and its managers, Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, from current and future litigation. Pate argued that the settlement could extinguish the rights of unknown survivors who had never received meaningful notice and who might still have viable claims under the laws of the U.S. Virgin Islands or other jurisdictions. He also objected to the fact that the agreement could preserve tens of millions of dollars for distribution under Epstein’s will rather than leaving those funds available for future claimants.

Pate also argued that the New York settlement could undercut ongoing legal rights in the Virgin Islands, where Epstein’s estate is administered and where the law allows claims, including punitive damages, to survive a defendant’s death. He maintained that survivors who later came forward should not be forced to give up the ability to sue the estate in the Virgin Islands simply because of a settlement negotiated elsewhere. His central objection was that the agreement would provide sweeping protection to the estate while potentially shutting out women who had not yet come forward, creating what he described as a due-process problem. Pate urged the court to modify the settlement so future survivors could still pursue claims and so more of the estate’s remaining assets would be preserved for victims rather than distributed to heirs or others connected to Epstein.



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V.I. Attorney Objects to Broad Epstein Settlement | St. Thomas Source