Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyer challenges US gov’t proposed jury questions

by Jeremy

The lawyer representing Sam Bankman-Fried, the previous CEO of the now-defunct crypto trade FTX, has claimed that the proposed jury questions for the upcoming fraud trial will elicit biased responses.

In a courtroom submitting on Sept. 29, lawyer Mark Cohen, who’s representing Bankman-Fried, contends that the jury questions introduced by america authorities include loopholes that might end in an unfair trial for Bankman-Fried.

“The Authorities’s proposed voir dire discourages full disclosure from potential jurors, fails to elicit ample data to permit the protection to establish potential juror bias, and dangers tainting the jury by presenting the allegations in a prejudicial method.”

Courtroom submitting in america District Courtroom for the Southern District of New York. Supply: CourtListener

He additionally argues that the language used within the jury choice questions already portrays a biased picture, presuming Bankman-Fried’s guilt in fraud and cash laundering.

“Specifically, by referring to “his fraud,” moderately than “his alleged fraud” or just “fraud,” the ultimate sentence in paragraph 3 improperly means that fraud by Mr. Bankman-Fried is a longtime truth.”

Cohen stresses the significance of the courtroom reminding potential jurors that Bankman-Fried is entitled to the presumption of innocence till confirmed responsible past an affordable doubt.

Moreover, Cohen argued that the courtroom ought to use the voir dire proposed by Bankman-Fried.

Nonetheless, Cointelegraph not too long ago reported that the U.S. authorities opposed Bankman-Fried’s proposed questions, declaring them pointless and time-consuming.

Particularly, the U.S. authorities objected to his questions regarding pretrial publicity, the efficient altruism philosophical motion, political donations and lobbying and attention-deficit/hyperactivity dysfunction (ADHD).

Associated: FTX founder’s plea for non permanent launch must be denied, prosecution says

Jury choice will start on October 3, previous the trial’s begin on October 4.

In line with a not too long ago launched trial calendar, there shall be 15 full trial days in October and one other six in November.

In the meantime, Bankman-Fried has been in detention on the Metropolitan Detention Heart since August 11. U.S. District Decide Lewis Kaplan has persistently refused his quite a few requests for non permanent launch to arrange for the trial.

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