4 July 30 - August 5, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | missive work-release arrangement that al- lowed him to spend most days at an office outside the jail. Black was part of an elite defense team that also included Alan Dershowitz, Kenneth Starr, Jay Lefkowitz and Gerald Lefcourt. Together, Epstein’s attorneys pressed federal prosecutors for the agreement that protected Epstein and unnamed potential co- conspirators from federal prosecution in South Florida. A later Justice Department review con- cluded that then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta exercised “poor judgment” in resolving the investigation through the agreement and in failing to ensure that Epstein’s victims were properly notified. The department stopped short of finding professional misconduct. Black and other Epstein attorneys later fought efforts to disclose communications surrounding the deal, arguing that releasing confidential plea negotiations would under- mine the criminal justice system. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-traffick- ing charges. Black, who died in July 2025 at age 80, was among the country’s most prominent criminal-defense attorneys. He rose to na- tional fame after winning an acquittal for William Kennedy Smith in a televised 1991 rape trial and later represented clients in- cluding Justin Bieber, Rush Limbaugh and race-car driver Hélio Castroneves. The firm itself continued to advertise Black’s work for Epstein among his notable cases. Today, the practice is centered around vet- eran federal defense attorney Howard Sreb- nick, who has handled high-profile tax, money-laundering and public-corruption cases and argued constitutional questions in- volving criminal defendants’ access to legal fees before the U.S. Supreme Court. Srebnick also represented Cocaine Cowboy Gustavo Falcon, who spent 26 years as a fugi- tive before he was captured in 2017. During Falcon’s sentencing, Srebnick portrayed him as a reformed family man who had spent decades living under the pressure of being hunted. The Tates’ extradition battle presents a different kind of challenge. An extradition hearing is not a criminal trial deciding guilt or innocence. A federal judge will instead consider whether the re- quest complies with the extradition treaty be- tween the United States and the United Kingdom and whether Brit- ish authorities have presented sufficient evi- dence to certify the brothers for extradition. The ultimate decision on whether to surrender them rests with the U.S. Secretary of State. The brothers face 59 charges in the United Kingdom, according to court reporting and British authorities. Andrew Tate faces accu- sations that include rape, assault, trafficking for sexual exploitation and offenses involving indecent images of a child and extreme por- nography. Tristan Tate faces charges includ- ing rape, sexual assault and trafficking. The alleged conduct spans from 2010 to 2017. Both men have denied wrongdoing. The brothers also face continuing legal problems in Romania, where they have been accused of human trafficking and other crimes, as well as civil litigation from women who accuse Andrew Tate of rape and abuse. The brothers have repeatedly argued that their accusers and governments are conspir- ing against them. Black Srebnick’s precise strategy has not yet emerged publicly. No attorney from the firm spoke during Monday’s brief hearing, and pub- licly available reports did not identify which lawyers had entered formal appearances. But the firm’s hiring signals that the Tates are preparing for a prolonged legal fight — one likely to move from a Miami courtroom to the federal appeals court and potentially beyond. [email protected] THE BROTHERS HAVE REPEATEDLY ARGUED THAT THEIR ACCUSERS AND GOVERNMENTS ARE CONSPIRING AGAINST THEM. 2/3H Familiar faces from p3
