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Val Crosby's avatar

What's in the deposition of Sharon Churcher that it needs to remain sealed for more than four years now? Hmmm...

David's avatar

Agree! Unseal it!

webcraft's avatar

"i think she's blackmailing"

Sharon Churcher/Tony Lyons transcript

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818.210.2_1_1.pdf#page=50

https://ia601907.us.archive.org/19/items/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818.210.2_1_1/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818.210.2_1_1.pdf#page=50

Date of Call: October 2, 2019

Audio Runtime: 1:17:53 (approximately 78 minutes, close to the commonly cited ~80 minutes)

The Sharon Churcher/Tony Lyons transcript refers to a recorded private conversation (approximately 80 minutes long) from October 2, 2019, between British journalist Sharon Churcher (formerly of the Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday, known for her 2011 reporting that first publicly identified Virginia Giuffre as an Epstein victim) and Tony Lyons (publisher at Skyhorse Publishing, who has published books by Alan Dershowitz).

The transcript surfaced publicly in late 2020 as an exhibit in court filings in the defamation lawsuit Giuffre v. Dershowitz (Case No. 19-cv-3377-LAP, S.D.N.Y.), where Dershowitz submitted it as part of his defense.

Alan Dershowitz submitted the Sharon Churcher/Tony Lyons transcript to the judge (Hon. Loretta A. Preska) in the defamation case Giuffre v. Dershowitz (Case No. 19-cv-3377-LAP, S.D.N.Y.).It was filed as part of his defense materials on or around November 20, 2020 (docket entry ECF No. 210), along with a supporting declaration from Tony Lyons (who made the secret recording of their October 2, 2019, conversation). The transcript was used to challenge Virginia Giuffre's credibility and to argue for broader discovery, including attempting to subpoena Churcher for deposition.

Case 1:19-cv-03377-LAP Document 210 Filed 11/20/20

Giuffre v. Dershowitz

Response in Opposition to Motion — Document #210

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/14945220/210/giuffre-v-dershowitz/

Case 1:19-cv-03377-LAP Document 210-2 Filed 11/20/20

Attach­ment 2 Exhibit B

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818/gov.uscourts.nysd.513818.210.2_1_1.pdf

This record includes the

Affidavit of Anthony Lyons, attached hereto as Exhibit A, and the transcript of a lawfully recorded

October 2019 conversation between Mr. Lyons and Ms. Churcher, attached hereto as Exhibit B. Mr.

Lyons is a book publisher and acquaintance of Professor Dershowitz. In Mr. Lyons’ conversation with

Ms. Churcher, which occurred in a context unrelated to any journalistic pursuit by Ms. Churcher

concerning the matters relevant here and thus outside of any available journalistic privilege, Ms.

Churcher disclosed in detail the content of her spring 2011 interviews with Plaintiff, thereby waiving the

protection of the New York Shield Law under the express provisions of that statute and exposing herself

to discovery concerning those interviews. See N.Y. Civ. Rights Law § 79-h(g).