his case hadn't even been decided yet? Who was appealing?

I thought it had to do with the fact that he was DEAD and so there was no legitimate reason to release the files until or unless someone else was charged, like Ghislaine Maxwell. Plus, apparently trump sealed them after Epstein's death.

Did you know that they found her in a small town in NH, living on a road near some friends of ours? They knew her but under a different name and were all freaking out when her house was surrounded by police & FBI as she was taken into custody. No one had any clue who or what she was. I don't know how she was found, perhaps real estate records under her real name?

I think it might have been because of her escape and later trial that files weren't released then.

Plus, it isn’t normally done just to embarrass people who weren't charged or who are still under investigation.