# Will Jeffrey Epstein's "friends" face justice?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-jeffrey-epsteins-friends-face-justice/917242>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 4, 2020, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-jeffrey-epsteins-friends-face-justice/917242 "2020-08-04T11:49:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 201

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-jeffrey-epsteins-friends-face-justice/917242/201 "2025-07-17T04:53:31Z")

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> [@griffin1977](#):
>
> this is not a commercial contract, its a plea deal with the state. AFAIK plea deals are not even legally enforceable, they are basically gentlemen’s agreements

No they are more than “gentlemen’s agreements” and they are enforceable. Exactly how they are enforced will vary.

From the Wikipedia article on plea bargaining:

> _[Santobello v. New York](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santobello_v._New_York)_ added that when plea bargains are broken, remedies exist; and it has been argued that given the prevalence of plea agreements, the most important rights of the accused may be found in the [law of contracts](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_contracts) rather than the law of [trial procedure](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trial_procedure&action=edit&redlink=1).[[9]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plea_bargaining_in_the_United_States#cite_note-standen-9)

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