Epstein, no signs of injuries, in court as judge sets trial date

NEW YORK (AP) -- The soonest Jeffrey Epstein will stand trial on sex trafficking charges is June 2020, though his defense lawyers are pushing for a later date.

The 66-year-old financier was back in court Wednesday for a pretrial hearing on the charges, which accuse him of having sex with girls as young as age 14.

Unlike previous court appearances where Epstein was communicating with his lawyers and looking through papers, he appeared subdued with his hands folded in front of him throughout the brief hearing.

There were no visible signs of any injuries after he was found on the floor of his cell last week with neck bruises .

After the court appearance, Epstein's lawyer refused to answer what caused the neck bruising.

The bruises weren't so serious that he was unable to remain at the Metropolitan Correction Center, which is adjacent to the downtown Manhattan courthouse.

Epstein, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges that carry the potential for up to 45 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman has ordered Epstein to remain behind bars until trial after concluding he is a danger to the community and a flight risk.

Prosecutors have said they fear he might try to influence a growing number of witnesses who support charges that he recruited and abused dozens of girls in New York and Florida in the early 2000s.

His lawyers had argued he should be allowed to stay under house arrest in his Manhattan mansion. His lawyers have argued that an agreement reached with federal prosecutors a dozen years ago disallows the charges and they say he has committed no new crimes.

The deal was reached before he pleaded guilty in state court in Florida to prostitution-related charges involving underage girls. Afterward, he was required to register as a sex offender and pay restitution to many victims.

While he served a 13-month jail term, he was permitted to leave the jail to work for 12 hours a day, six days a week.

On Monday, Berman ordered lawyers in the case against Epstein to meet prior to Wednesday's hearing and discuss how the case will proceed, including the timing of pretrial written arguments over legal issues and when a trial should be scheduled.

Epstein was arrested July 6 when he arrived at a New Jersey airport on a private jet from Paris, where he has a home.