Not News? Columbia Professor and Huffington Post Contributor David Epstein Pleads Guilty in Incest Case

Posted on | May 25, 2011 | 84 Comments

You will recall that Palin-hating blogger David Epstein was arrested in December and charged with felony incest for having sex with his adult daughter (now 24) from 2006 through 2009.

One of our readers has obtained court documents (for Case #2010NY090162) indicating that Epstein copped a plea to a misdemeanor charge of attempted incest. (Click the image to enlarge).

That ruling was on May 11 — two weeks ago — and yet I can find no news reports about Epstein’s conviction. You might think that at least the New York Times would find the disposition of this case newsworthy.

The alert reader who informed me of this previously unreported news also passed along the court documents to some members of the Columbia University faculty, resulting in this angry e-mail from Epstein’s lawyer:

From: Matthew Galluzzo
Date: Tue, May 24, 2011 at 7:17 PM
Subject: notice
To: [Redacted]

Mr. [Redacted], I am an attorney and I represent Dr. Epstein. Please be advised that he does not wish to receive any further communications from you ever again. I have already alerted the District Attorney’s Office to the emails you have sent him thus far, and should you ever contact him or me again, we will make the appropriate criminal complaint to law enforcement.

Matthew J. Galluzzo, Esq.
Galluzzo & Johnson LLP
48 Wall Street, 11th Floor
New York, New York 10005

Well, facts are facts and if Professor Epstein has now pleaded guilty, the presumption of innocence is over. Epstein is still listed as a faculty member on the Columbia University Web site.

Is Epstein’s behavior something that the university tolerates or approves?

Someone should ask Professor John Huber (jdh39@columbia.edu), chairman of the Department of Political Science, or Columbia University President Lee Bollinger (officeofthepresident@columbia.edu).

UPDATE: Linked by Jeff G. at Protein Wisdom — thanks!

UPDATE II: Linked by Ann Coulter — thanks!

UPDATE III: Linked by Don Surber and Piece of Work in Progress — thanks!

UPDATE IV: Linked by the American Pundit — thanks!

UPDATE V: Linked by POH Diaries and by Rodney Graves at Wizbang — thanks!

UPDATE VI: Linked by Maggie’s Notebook — thanks! — and welcome, Instapundit readers!

PREVIOUSLY: