A federal judge in New York, Richard Berman, has denied the Justice Department's request to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits related to the 2019 indictment of Jeffrey Epstein on sex trafficking charges. This marks the third time the Trump administration's Department of Justice has been unsuccessful in efforts to make these grand jury materials public. Judge Berman, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, characterized the DOJ's motion as a "diversion," noting that the government already possesses a far more comprehensive set of Epstein-related documents, reportedly exceeding 100,000 files. The judge also highlighted that no victims testified before the grand jury and expressed concerns that unsealing the transcripts could potentially endanger victims who have come forward. The ruling follows similar denials by two other federal judges in the Southern District of New York. The court emphasized that the government itself is the appropriate party to decide on the public release of Epstein files rather than seeking court intervention for partial disclosures.