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The USVI Pushes Back On The Epstein Estates Attempt To Remove The Liens (11/10/26) · Beyond The Horizon

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What's up everyone and welcome back to the program. In
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: this episode, we're going to dive back into some Epstein
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: court documents and we're going to look at the USVI
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: and their opposition to the request to extinguish criminal activity liens.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Case number 19-PB-000080 in the matter of the Epstein estate.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Government of the United States, Virgin Islands, opposition to request
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: to extinguish criminal activity liens. The Government of the United States,
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Virgin Islands, hereby responds to the supplemental brief regarding co-executors'
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: obligations to satisfy expenses of administration notwithstanding liens issued to
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: the estate, filed before the probate division of the Superior Court,
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: and opposes the request therein for this court to enter
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: a judgment extinguishing the criminal activity liens entered against the
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein. Introduction. The court should deny
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: the co-executor's request for a judgment extinguishing the government's criminal
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: activity liens because the court has no authority to grant
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: this relief and the arguments the co-executors make are legally
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: incorrect and misleading. The probate court lacks authority to extinguish
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: the criminal activity liens while the government's Criminally Influenced and
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Corrupt Organizations Act action is pending against the Epstein estate.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: Under SECO, when the Attorney General files a criminal activity
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: lien notice upon commencement of an action, the lien attaches
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: as of the filing and shall continue thereafter until expiration, termination,
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: or release as provided herein. 14 Virgin Island Code Section 610F.
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: The Act further provides that during the lien notice's six-year term,
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: Virgin Island Code 14 Section 610Q, only the Attorney General
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: or the United States Attorney Filing the criminal activity lien
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: notice may release the criminal activity lien notice upon such
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: terms as he may determine. Virgin Island Code 610 R.
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: The sole exception where a court may release or extinguish
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: a criminal activity lien arises if no criminal or civil
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: proceeding or action under this chapter is then pending against
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: the person named in a criminal activity lien notice. Virgin
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: Island Code 14 Section 610 T. The exception clearly does
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: not apply here because the government's SECO action is pending
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: against the Epstein estate. Thus, the court has no authority
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: or discretion to enter a judgment, as the co-executors request,
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: extinguishing the government's criminal activity liens. Even if the court
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: had the authority, which it does not, the co-executors fail
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: to raise any legal basis for this relief. The co-executors
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: argue that criminal activity lien notices apply to trustees, and
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: that since they are not trustees, the liens do not
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: apply to them. Under SECO, however, the criminal activity lien
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: notices may apply not only to a trustee, but to
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: any person or other entity named in the notice. Virgin
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: Island Code 14, Section 610C. The Epstein estate is such
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: an entity properly sued as a defendant. CEG Outley v.
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: Estate of Bell, 61, Virgin Islands, 480, 500, 2014. Outley
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: correctly named Bell's estate as the defendant. The co-executors also
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: argue that the government's SECO action is defective for not
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: complying with Virgin Island Code 15 Section 606 timing and
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: notice procedures. Section 606, however, applies only to a creditor's
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: claim against an executor or administrator. U.S. Code 15 Section 606B.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: See also Oat v. Sewer Enterprises LTD 46 Virgin Islands
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: 286-290 DVI 2004. Section 606B forbids the plaintiff from commencing
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: an action against the sewer's estate until she has first
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: presented a claim to sewer. The government's SECO action and
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: criminal activity liens seeking forfeiture and divestiture from the Epstein
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: estate's property within the Virgin Islands used to facilitate Mr.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Epstein's criminal sex trafficking enterprise is not such a claim.
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: See Outley 61 VI at Ford 98. we agree that
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: an action for partition is not a claim that is
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: required to be presented to an estate's executor or administrator
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: under Section 606. Finally, the co-executor's argument that the Epstein
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: estate's expenses relating to other persons' claims take priority under
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: Virgin Island Code 15 Section 421 fails because the government's
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: criminal activity liens take priority over all claims except those
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: where a beneficial interest was acquired before the filing of
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: the lien notice. See Virgin Island Code 14, Section 610F.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: The co-executors do not, in their briefing identity, any claimant
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: who has obtained a judgment as of January 16, 2020,
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: when the government filed its lien notice. Thus, no identified
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: claimant has priority over the government's criminal activity lien. Therefore,
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: the co-executor's request for a judgment extinguishing the government's criminal
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: activity liens is procedurally defective because the court lacks the
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: authority to grant this relief is substantively baseless and should
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: be denied. The argument, A. The court lacks authority to
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: extinguish the government's criminal activity liens while its SECO action
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: against the Epstein estate is pending. In their supplemental brief,
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: the co-executors ask the court to allow them to disregard
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: the government's criminal activity liens against the Epstein estate. Supplemental
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: brief at 1. To enter a judgment extinguishing the liens,
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: ID at 3, and to reject the liens, ID at 7.
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: see also Emergency Motion at 14-17. The court should vacate
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: the liens. The court should reject these requests out of
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: hand because it lacks authority to grant this relief. Under SECO,
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: where the government has filed an action against a party
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: and concurrently filed a criminal activity lien notice, only the
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: Attorney General may release the liens thereunder while the action
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: is pending. The relevant SECO sections provide that, upon the
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: institution of any criminal or civil proceeding or action under
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: this chapter, the Attorney General may file a criminal activity
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: lien notice and that the Clerk of the Trial Court shall,
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: upon the presentation of a criminal activity lien notice, immediately
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: record in the official records. Virgin Island Code 14, Section 610.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: The government has done this here. See Exhibit A, here too,
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: criminal activity lien notices. The government's filing of a criminal
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: activity lien notice creates, from the time of its filing,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: a lien in favor of the government of the territory
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: of the Virgin Islands, on the name, person, or entities, personal,
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: or real property situated in the territory of the Virgin Islands,
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: and on any beneficial interest in it located in the
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: territory of the Virgin Islands. Virgin Island Code 14, Section
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: 610E1 and 2. See also Virgin Island Code 14, Section 6101.
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: The lien shall commence and attach as the time of
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: the filing of the criminal activity lien notice. The government's
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: activity liens thus already are attached to all of Epstein's
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: estate's property and interests located within the territory of the
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: Virgin Islands. Once the government's criminal activity liens were filed
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: and attached, they shall continue thereafter until expiration, termination, or
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: release provided herein. Virgin Island Code 14 Section 610F. With
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: respect to expiration, the Act provides that the term of
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: the criminal activity lien notice shall be for a period
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: of six years from the date of filing. and the
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: subject to renewal for one additional six-year period upon notice
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: filed by the Attorney General. Virgin Island Code 14 Section 610Q,
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: the government's liens on the Epstein estate thus shall continue
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: in effect until either January 16, 2026 or January 16, 2032,
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: absent a termination or a release, whereas here the government's
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: underlying SECO action still is pending and only the Attorney
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: General may release any property or interest from the criminal
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: activity liens. This is the express command of the statute
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: which provides in relevant part that the Attorney General filing
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: the criminal activity lien notice may release in whole or
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: in part any criminal activity lien notice or may release
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: any personal or real property or beneficial interest in it
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: from the criminal activity lien notice upon such terms and
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: conditions as he may determine. Virgin Island Code 14, Section 610R.
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: The act thus is unambiguous that where, as here, a
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: criminal activity lien notice has commenced and attached upon the
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: Attorney General's filing of an action and notice, the Attorney
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: General has sole authority to release the liens upon such
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: terms and conditions as she may determine to be appropriate.
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: This exclusive authority is with the Attorney General leaves no
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: room for the court or any other to disregard, extinguish,
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: or reject the government's criminal activity liens, as to the
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: co-executor's request. The one instance in which SECO permits a
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: court to release or extinguish a criminal activity lien notice
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: does not apply here. The Act provides that there were
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: no criminal or civil proceeding or action under this chapter
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: is then pending against the person named in a criminal
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: activity lien notice... Any person named in a criminal activity
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: lien notice may institute an action seeking a release or
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: extinguishment of the notice, which a court may grant upon
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: appropriate factual findings. Virgin Island Code 14, Section 610T, 1-3.
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: This provision does not apply here for the simple reason
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: that the government's SECO action against the Epstein estate is
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: pending before the Superior Court. which has sole authority to
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: hear any challenge to that action, such as the co-executor's
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: purported constitutional challenge to the government's criminal activity liens. Emergency
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: motion at 8 and 10. This court, however... has no
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: authority to disregard, extinguish, or reject the government's criminal activity
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  Speaker 1: liens against the Epstein estate. The estate may, however, attempt
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: to invoke the statutory exception by moving the Superior Court,
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: not this court, to dismiss the SECO action. Virgin Island
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: Code 14, Section 610U. In the event of a civil
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: proceeding is pending against a person named in a criminal
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: activity lien notice, the Superior Court or United States District Court,
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: upon motion by the person, may grant the relief set
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: forth in this section. A dismissal on the merits of
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: the Superior Criminal Activity Lien at such a time, see
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: Virgin Island Code 14, Section 610, S & T. The
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: estate has not done so, however. In sum, the co-executors'
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: request that the court disregard, extinguish, or reject the government's
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: criminal activity liens has no merit or basis in law
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: and therefore must be denied. In light of the legislature's
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: purpose in enacting SECO to curtail criminal activity and lessen
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: its economic power in the territory of the Virgin Islands
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: by providing to law enforcement new civil sanctions and remedies,
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: Virgin Island Code 14, Section 601, the probate court has
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: no authority to grant this relief while the government's SECO
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: action against the Epstein estate is pending in Superior Court. b.
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: The co-executor's legal arguments for extinguishing the government's criminal activity
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: liens are incorrect. Even if the probate court had authority
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: to extinguish the criminal activity liens during the pendency of
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: the government's SECO actions against the Epstein estate, which it
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: does not, the court also should not grant this relief
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: because the co-executor's legal arguments proffered in support of it
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: are incorrect. First, the co-executors argue that criminal activity lien
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: notices apply to trustees pursuant to Virgin Island Code 14,
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: Section 610, but that a trustee under SECO does not
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: include an executor appointed by or under the control of
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: or accountable to a court. Supplemental briefing at 2. See
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: also emergency motion at 10. This is true as far
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: as it goes, but that is not far enough. Although
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: SECO does apply to trustees CEG, Virgin Island Code 14,
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: Section 610, K & M, it does not apply only
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: to trustees. Rather, SECO's criminal activity lien notice provisions apply
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: to any person or other entity named in the notice,
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: Virgin Island Code 14, Section 610E. Thus, whether or not
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: the co-executors are considered trustees under SECO, they do not
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: have to be because the act applies far more broadly
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: to any other person or entity of which the Epstein
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: estate is one. Second, arguing the next, That the lien
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: is not valid against the estate because the underlying SECO
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: action is not, the co-executors assert that it's axiomatic that
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: an estate is not a legal entity and cannot be sued.
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: And the same holds true with respect to the government
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: naming the 1953 trust, which also cannot be sued, as
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: a defendant in its forfeiture action. Supplemental brief at 2
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: and 3 see also emergency motion at 13 and 14.
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: An estate is not a legal entity. It cannot be sued.
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: This argument makes no reference to Virgin Islands law and
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: is clearly incorrect and baseless. Indeed, just two sentences earlier
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: in their brief, the co-executors cited to the case of
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: Otley and estate of Bell Supra, see supplemental brief at 2,
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: the Otley case is, as its caption suggests, a lawsuit
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: naming an estate as defendant. See 61 Virgin Islands at 486,
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: Otley named Bell's estate Ebony and Gerard collectively, appellees, as
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: defendants in the action. Moreover, in its decision in Otley
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: and Virgin Island Supreme Court, Squarely held that Otley correctly
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: named Bell Estate as the defendant, and although not necessary,
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: additionally listed the two heirs entitled to inherit his interests
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: in the disputed property, ID at 500, CF Francis v.
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: Ruan Living Trust, No. ST 15 CV 177, 2016, Virgin
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: Island Lexus 160 at 13. Virgin Islands Superior Court, Division
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: of St. Thomas and St. John, October 5th, 2016. Plaintiff
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: has pled sufficient facts to support her claim of negligence
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: against defendant Ruan Trust. Thus, the co-executors' argument that the
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: government's SECO action is improper because the Epstein estate cannot
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: be sued is incorrect and should be rejected. Third, the
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: co-executors argue that the government's entire SECO action is defective
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: as well because the government has failed to follow the
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: statutory procedures required In Virgin Island Code 15, Section 606B.
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: That must be met before such an action can be commenced.
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: Supplemental brief at 2. See also emergency motion at 11
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: through 13. Repeating Section 606 argument. This too is wrong.
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: Section 606 timing and notice requirements apply only to a
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: claim against an executor or administrator. 15 U.S. Code 606B.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: The Otley Supra of the Virgin Island Supreme Court. addressed
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: an action for partition of real property brought by a
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: half-owner against the estate of the other half-owner and her heirs,
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: who argued that the action was invalid for failure to
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: comply with Section 606B. See 61 Virgin Island at 485.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: The Supreme Court reversed dismissal of the action, holding that
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: an action for partition is not a claim that is
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: required to be presented to an estate's executor or administrator
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: under Section 606, ID at 498. The court explained that
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: at Section 606 coverage of claims contemplates the debts that
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: the deceased incurred during their lifetime and which accreditor is
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: attempting to recover from the estate, whereas an action for
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: partition is not an attempt to recover debt or property
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: from an estate. The same is true here with respect
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: to the government's SECO action against the Epstein estate for
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: forfeiture and divestiture of Epstein's interests in real and personal
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: property within the U.S. Virgin Islands used to facilitate Mr.
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: Epstein's sex trafficking enterprise, civil penalties, damages, and other equitable remedies.
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: See complaint, prayer for relief. Since the government is not
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: seeking payments of an alleged debt owed by the Epstein estate,
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: Virgin Island 15, Section 606 does not apply. The court, therefore,
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: should likewise reject the collateral attack on the SECO action
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: and criminal activity liens. Fourth, the co-executors argue that the
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: Virgin Island Code creates an unambiguous preference in favor of
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: payment of the estate's administration and that the government's criminal
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: activity liens thus are subordinate to the estate's administrative expenses,
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: including primarily those for defending 22 pending lawsuits filed in
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: multiple jurisdictions, supplemental brief 3 and 4, citing Virgin Island
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: Code 15 Section 421C. This argument, too, must fail. The
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: 22 other pending lawsuits would constitute other claims against the
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: estate under Section 421A7. The co-executors do not contend, however,
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: that any of these lawsuits have been litigated to judgment
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: against Mr. Epstein or the Epstein estate. Absent an enforceable
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: judgment as of the time of the government filed its
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: criminal activity lien notice, those claims are subordinate to the
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: government's liens. See Virgin Island Code 14, Section 610F. The
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: government's criminal activity lien shall be superior to and prior
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: to the interest of any other person in the personal
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: or real property or beneficial interest in it if the
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: interest is acquired subsequent to the filing of the notice. Here,
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: the government's criminal activity lien notice was filed prior to
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: and thus is superior to any acquired interest in the
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: claims in the identified cases. The co-executor's arguments, therefore, should
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: be rejected if as an attempt at an end run
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: around the SECO lien enforcement provisions. And finally, the court
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: also should reject the co-executor's argument that the equity strongly
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: disfavored the imposition of the liens. Supplemental Brief at 6.
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: The government's criminal activity liens are not proposed preliminary injunction
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: subject to judicial review based upon a balancing of asserted equities.
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: CEG SBRM COA LLC vs. Morehouse Real Estate Investment LLC
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: 62 Virgin Island LLC 168-186 VI Superior Court, St. Thomas
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: and St. John. A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary remedy
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: offering equitable relief. However, flexibility is a hallmark of equity jurisdiction.
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: The best approach would appear to require the Virgin Island
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: courts to balance these two conflicting concepts in fashionable, equitable relief. Here,
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: the government's criminal activity liens under SECO do not invite
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: or permit the court to balance perceived inequities based upon
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: the Epstein estate co-executors purported assertions of the interest of Mr.
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: Epstein's many victims. To the extent the co-executors resist or
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: deary the sweeping remedies the government invokes under SECO, they
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: are trying to avoid or rewrite the history in which Mr.
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: Epstein chose to carry out his sex trafficking enterprise in
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: the Virgin Islands on his vast property buildings here. Whatever Mr.
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: Epstein's reasons were for making his choice, The Epstein estate
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: and its co-executors cannot avoid the consequences of his choice
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: based on a purported assertion of his victim's interest in
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: an attempt to override controlling Virgin Islands law. The government
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: is very sympathetic to the interests of victims, those who
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: may participate voluntarily in an informal claims process, those who
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: may choose to pursue existing lawsuits to judgment, or those
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: who may come forward in the future and is willing
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: to work with the estate and victims themselves. as with
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: Epstein's estate and expenses to release funds to resolve their claims.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: But that decision is at the government's discretion upon acceptable
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: terms and accounting. Regardless of the co-executor's arguments, the law
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: is clear that the government criminal activity liens are enforceable
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: against the Epstein estate and superior as to any other interests. Conclusion.
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: For all those reasons set forth, the court lacks authority
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: to grant the co-executor's request to disregard, extinguish, or reject
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: the government's criminal activity liens, and therefore should deny these requests.
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: Respectfully submitted, Denise George. And this was submitted February 10th, 2020.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: All right, folks, that's going to do it for this one.
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: All of the information that goes with this episode can
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: be found in the description box.