A federal judge said Tuesday that the Justice Department can publicly release investigative materials from a sex trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime confidante of Jeffrey Epstein.
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled after the Justice Department in November asked two judges in New York to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits, along with investigative materials that could amount to hundreds or thousands of previously unreleased documents.
He’s the second judge to allow the Justice Department to publicly disclose previously secret Epstein-related records.
Last week, a judge in Florida granted the department’s request to release transcripts from an abandoned federal grand jury investigation into Epstein in the 2000s.
A request to release records from Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case is still pending.
The Justice Department said Congress intended the unsealing when it passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law last month.
Japan was assessing damage Tuesday and cautioning people of potential aftershocks after a late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake caused injuries, light damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities.
At least 34 people were injured, one seriously, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Most of them were hit by falling objects, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters an emergency task force was formed to urgently assess damage. “We are putting people’s lives first and doing everything we can,” she said.
At a parliamentary session Tuesday, Takaichi pledged the government would continue its utmost effort and reminded people they have to protect their own lives.
The 7.5 magnitude quake struck around 11:15 p.m. in the Pacific Ocean, around 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main Honshu island. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.6 magnitude and said it occurred 44 kilometers (27 miles) below the surface.
A tsunami of up to 70 centimeters (2 feet, 4 inches) was measured in Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, just south of Aomori, and waves up to 50 centimeters struck other communities in the region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. NHK reported the waves damaged some oyster rafts.
The agency lifted all tsunami advisories by 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
St. Thomas Public Safety released the Annual Security and Fire Safety report in September, disclosing an increase in stalking, dating violence and liquor law violations, and a decrease in drug violations from 2023 to 2024.
There are three rough sections of the report: crime prevention methods, crime statistics and resources provided.
St. Paul Campus Manager for Public Safety Aaron Fimon said that measuring the effectiveness of Public Safety’s crime prevention methods is complex.
Among the notable statistics from the report was the increase in stalking and dating violence, which is defined as “violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim.” From 2023 to 2024, stalking offenses increased from six to 17 and dating violence offenses from three to six.
Fimon said that though the numbers show an increase in these offenses, it could just be an increase in reported instances of crime rather than in total instances.
“If you just look at the stats, it’s going to look like it’s having an adverse effect, but it’s actually better for us, because we want everyone to know what the actual number is.” Fimon said.
He said Public Safety is always aware of the “dark figure of crime” — the number of crimes that go unreported.
Fimon said communicating with and educating students, largely through Safety 101 talks, establishes a better relationship with students and helps Public Safety be more aware of crime on campus.
“We’re doing better at getting in the community. People feel more comfortable coming forward,” Fimon said.
Abby Madsen can be reached at mads3817@stthomas.edu.
