Trenton, NJ – In the federal case against Rabbi Mendel Epstein, Epstein’s lawyer says the rabbi was exaggerating when he told undercover FBI agents about kidnapping and using a taser on Jewish men who refused to grant their wives a divorce.
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Robert Stahl told the jury Tuesday that Epstein, 69, was only trying to reassure what he says was a “desperate” woman who was leaning on the rabbi to provide her with a get – the document saying a marriage is dissolved under Jewish law, and that he embellished tales of beatings, kidnappings and tasering the testicles of Jewish men when he was talking to undercover FBI agents, reports app.com (http://on.app.com/1CX9bRG).
Stahl said there were no tasers or other weapons found in 2013 when feds arrested a group of masked men in an Edison warehouse who were wearing disguises and who had ties to Epstein. Epstein is well known in the ultra-Orthodox world as an authority on combative religious divorces in New Jersey and New York.
Stahl stated his client may have committed extortion, but did not kidnap anyone. Epstein is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of kidnapping.
Vin News previously reported that at the start of Epstein’s trial in February, he and his “team” were accused of using handcuffs, surgical blades and electric cattle prods in the kidnappings (http://bit.ly/1CLaPFT).
Rabbi Jay Goldstein, Epstein’s son, David Epstein and Rabbi Binyamin Stimler are also facing kidnapping-related charges as part of Esptein’s team.
Closing arguments are expected to continue Wednesday.
What a great defense:
“I’m not a criminal! I’m a liar!”
There was no crime, no agunah needing a get, just some role playing FBI agents who lied about who they were and the need for a get. I know all 4 named in the article and they are all fine upstanding Yiddin not kidnappers.
One thing is for sure that he can be believed when he admits that he is a Liar.
He is not a Rabbi, only a Liar.
He has never issued one Kosher Get. All his Gittin are Fake.
If he didn’t even bother to check, in this case, if this Federal agent is even Jewish or married, before taking the money to force a Get, obviously he did the same for all his prior Gittin, where he never bothered to check if any claims are real or not, as long as he got the money.
Such Gittin are not valid Gittin and the children of such subsequent marriages are all Mamzerim, products of this Liar, fake “rabbi”.
He may succeed in fooling this judge or this jury but he can’t fool Hashem and all his Gittin are invalid and he will go down in history the “father” of endless numbers of Mamzerim of all of his false Gittin.
Let’s hear it from all men that were inhumanely treated by these clowns! All the above ALLEGATIONS were well known by so many for so long. Come out with your praises for all four of these “fine outstanding Yidden”!
Of course say you are guilty of extortion when that isn’t a crime you are on trial for…
These men should be locked away for years!!!!
I say start a boycott of the defense lawyer and his firm.
why don’t authorities use the same method on Epstein, et al, to get a confession, as Epstein used on the men to force them to give a get? – Oh wait , that’s illegal.
“Don’t you believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty?”
No, no! Epstein and his חברה do not deny the charges against them. In fact, they admitted in open court to having engaged in torture. Epstein also claimed in court that he had the right to do it due to his version of הלכה, viewing that the husband agreed to be beaten into giving a גט, “Because it is the right thing for his נשמה.” When a person is מודה בפה מלא to the infractions he committed, guilt is an established fact.
Yes, his shyster Stahl is now lamely attempting damage control by saying, “That he (Epstein) embellished tales of beatings, kidnappings and tasering the testicles of Jewish men when he was talking to undercover FBI agents,” instead of showing some scintilla of contrition to the court. The judge and jury will just love this defense.