Alan Dershowitz, the 87-year-old lawyer and former Harvard professor, caused a lot of controversy this week. He defended Jeffrey Epstein on NewsNation with Chris Cuomo. He said Epstein’s crimes were not technically pedophilia. Many people disagreed.
“The predecessor on your show described Epstein as a convicted pedophile,” Dershowitz told Cuomo. “[Epstein] pleaded guilty to one count of having sex for money with a 17-year-and-10-month-old person. That’s not a pedophile.”
He was talking about Epstein’s 2008 plea deal. Epstein got only 13 months in a work-release program. He avoided federal charges and long prison time. The case involved many underage girls. Some were as young as 14.
A 2020 Justice Department report said the plea deal was too easy and let Epstein off lightly.
Dershowitz also had a close relationship with Epstein. He was both a friend and a lawyer. This made people question his defense.
Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Epstein, said Dershowitz was forced into sexual activity on Epstein’s plane. Dershowitz denied this. He said he received a massage at Epstein’s house while keeping his underwear on and claimed he did not enjoy it.
Many people called Dershowitz’s defense “horrifying.” They said he focused too much on legal details and ignored the bigger picture.
Dershowitz’s comments also brought attention back to President Donald Trump. Trump knew Epstein and had connections with his friends. Trump has tried to distance himself from Epstein while keeping ties with some of Epstein’s associates.
During the interview, Dershowitz kept repeating that the law is clear. “That’s not a pedophile,” he said. “Legally, that is a conviction for soliciting sex from a person almost 18 years old.”
Dershowitz has a long history of defending famous and controversial people. He defended Trump during the impeachment trial in 2020. He often focuses on narrow legal points. His Epstein defense was similar.
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