odone and hydrocodone. (A few

[TERSON odone and hydrocodone. (A few hich coincided with Chief Reit- stein, the talk-show host settled nit to random drug testing, and had been accused of sexual ron, a legal secretary who'd worked sment lawsuit against him in the That suit was dismissed, but a few ‘rischer to federal court, accusing es and demanding recompense for ivacy, and emotional distress. nds, violently, inside her blouse, mdled her breasts, forcibly kissed while brushing her buttocks with accompanying the gestures with advances, the woman claimed, ms. At the time, he was making his 3 office. The charges were politically _ of a local chapter of NOW —the 4 xen—had stood by the lawyer, cit — violence, among his other virtues. -y Krischer for the work his office xe woman said during a rally that arthouse. “Her murderer received | sentence.” o been dismissed —alter Krischers 164 Fittyy Ricu former law firm agreed to pay Bergeron’s attorney seven thou- sand dollars in legal fees. Now Chief Reiter and Detective Recarey were beginning to have their own questions about Barry Krischer. The Palm Beach PD wanted to charge Epstein with one count of lewd and lascivious behavior and four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor—felony charges that would have amounted to years behind bars in the case of a conviction. Wendy Dobbs and Sarah Kellen would be charged as accomplices. This was not the plan that Krischer seemed to have in mind for Jeffrey Epstein. In cases involving the sexual abuse of minors, prosecuting attorneys tend to have suspects arrested, then push for a trial. But instead of granting his approval for an arrest, Krischer told the police that he would convene a grand jury, which would be asked to consider a broad range of charges. Ina case such as Epstein’s, this was highly unusual. Not damn- ing in and of itself. But very strange. In Florida, grand juries are | only required in capital cases. At the state attorney’s discretion, they may also be called in controversial cases—for instance, cases _ involving crimes committed by public officials. But Jeffrey Epstein " wasn't a public official, and as far as the Palm Beach PD was con- _ cerned, the only controversial thing about the case they'd built was 4 that Epstein was rich and well connected. In his deposition for 4 B.B. vs. Epstein, Chief Reiter rel ayed Krischer’s concerns: the pros- "ecutor had to make sure that his case was solid, beyond a reason- able doubt. And Krischer did have his doubts about the credibility of the young women who'd be called to. testify against Epstein. 165 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_010506