Washington — A federal judge in New York on Wednesday declined the federal government's request to unseal grand jury material in the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019.

Judge Richard Berman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued his ruling in a 14-page decision . Berman ruled that the Justice Department failed to demonstrate a "special circumstance" that would warrant the disclosure of grand jury transcripts and exhibits. Proceedings before grand juries are typically kept secret.

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