Alleged “prodfather” Rabbi Mendel Epstein’s Attorneys Ask for Mistrial, Judge Says No

By Shmarya Rosenberg
Failed Messiah
April 21, 2015

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2015/04/alleged-prodfather-rabbi-mendel-epsteins-attorneys-ask-for-mistrial-judge-says-no-345.html

Defense attorneys for the alleged “Prodfather,” Rabbi Mendel Epstein, and three of his associates asked a federal judge to grant a mistrial today. The judge, US District Court Judge Freda L. Wolfson, denied the motion. Instead, she told the jury to disregard an incorrect sentence in the indictment the jury was given last week when it began its deliberations in Epstein’s get (Jewish divorce) extortion and kidnapping trial. The jury was given a corrected indictment, as well.


Defense attorneys for the alleged “Prodfather,” Rabbi Mendel Epstein, and three of his associates asked a federal judge to grant a mistrial today.

The judge, US District Court Judge Freda L. Wolfson, denied the motion.

Instead, she told the jury to disregard an incorrect sentence in the indictment the jury was given last week when it began its deliberations in Epstein’s get (Jewish divorce) extortion and kidnapping trial. The jury was given a corrected indictment, as well.

According to the Asbury Park Press, the mistaken sentence reads as follows. "Defendant Mendel Epstein further stated…that Mendel Epstein's son is one of the 'tough guys' who uses his karate skills on the husbands to facilitate the coerced divorces."

But the government previously admitted Mendel Epstein did not make that comment about his son at the meeting from which the quote was taken.

The mistake was reported in January and the indictment was corrected before the trial began. But the mistaken sentence was still in the copy of the indictment the jury received on April 15 – even though attorneys for both the defense and the prosecution reportedly reviewed the indictment before it was given to jury. Neither group of lawyers supposedly noticed the error at that time.