Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan canceled a hearing scheduled for February 4 after being informed that “extensive and constructive discussions” with the government had led to an agreement.
A deal has been reached between lawyers representing victims of Jeffrey Epstein and the U.S. Department of Justice to protect the identities of nearly 100 women whose lives were allegedly harmed following the government’s release of millions of documents last week, an attorney told a federal judge on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
Judge Richard M. Berman canceled a hearing set for Wednesday, February 4, 2026, after Florida attorney Brittany Henderson notified the court that discussions with the government had resulted in an agreement.
Henderson and attorney Brad Edwards had written to Berman on Sunday, February 1, 2026, arguing that “immediate judicial intervention” was necessary after thousands of instances in which the government failed to redact names and other personally identifying details of women sexually abused by Epstein.
Among eight women referenced in the lawyers’ letter, one said the release of the records was “life threatening,” while another reported receiving death threats and said she was forced to shut down her credit cards and bank accounts after her security was compromised.
The attorneys had requested that the Justice Department temporarily shut down its website and appoint an independent monitor to ensure no further errors occurred.
Henderson did not disclose what assurances government lawyers provided or the specific terms of the agreement.
“We trust that the deficiencies will be corrected expeditiously and in a manner that protects victims from further harm,” she wrote to the judge.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an order canceling the public hearing, Judge Berman said he was “pleased but not surprised that the parties were able to resolve the privacy issues.”
On Monday, February 2, 2026, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton wrote in a letter filed in Manhattan federal court that redaction errors caused by “technical or human error” occurred during the document release.
Clayton said the Justice Department had strengthened its protocols to protect victims and had removed nearly all materials flagged by victims or their lawyers, along with additional documents the government identified independently.
Errors in what was the largest release of Epstein-related documents to date included nude photos showing the faces of potential victims, as well as names, email addresses, and other identifying details that were either unredacted or insufficiently obscured.
Most of the released materials stemmed from sex trafficking investigations involving Epstein and his former girlfriend, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in December 2021 in New York.
Epstein died by suicide in a federal jail in New York in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
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