A federal judge in Florida has ordered the release of grand jury transcripts related to the sex trafficking cases of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith made the ruling on Friday, stating that a new federal law supersedes previous rules that kept grand jury matters confidential.

The law, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, was signed by President Donald Trump last month. It mandates the Justice Department, FBI, and federal prosecutors to release extensive materials gathered during investigations into Epstein by December 19.

The Justice Department had requested the unsealing of documents from three separate Epstein-related cases: the 2006-2007 grand jury investigation in Florida, Epstein's 2019 sex trafficking case in New York, and Maxwell's 2021 case, also in New York. The request for the Florida transcripts was approved, while the New York requests are still under consideration. The Justice Department faces a deadline on Monday to submit its final response to submissions from victims, Epstein's estate, and Maxwell's attorneys. Judges overseeing those cases have indicated they will make decisions quickly.

Previously, a request to release grand jury transcripts from investigations in 2005 and 2007 was denied. The recent ruling follows increased pressure for transparency regarding Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. Maxwell, who was convicted of aiding Epstein in sex trafficking, is currently serving a 20-year sentence in Texas.

Maxwell has expressed concerns that releasing the grand jury files could affect her plans to file a motion for a new trial. The Transparency Act requires the release of all related files, including investigations, flight logs, travel records, immunity deals, and internal communications from the Justice Department, as well as records concerning Epstein's death in prison. Judge Smith emphasized that the new law “trumps” the rules of grand jury secrecy that previously blocked the release of these transcripts. The case is recorded as In Re: Grand Jury 05-02 (WPB) & 07-103 (WPB) Order on Expedited Motion, 25-mc-80920, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.