Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, is facing problems as he proceeds with his upcoming trial for fraud. Judge Lewis Kaplan has agreed with the U.S. Department of Justice’s request to block all of the key witnesses that Sam Bankman-Fried had suggested from testifying at his trial next month.
This development occurred shortly after the judge in the trial rejected Bankman-Fried’s request to have seven expert witnesses testify in his defense. The judge believed that their testimony wouldn’t be relevant to the case or might confuse the jury.
However, the judge did allow Bankman-Fried’s legal team to call the remaining four witnesses, specifically experts in data analytics and blockchain technology, to counter the government’s witnesses.
Peter Vinella, a consultant who aimed to testify regarding “FTX’s use of widely-accepted practices in the financial services industry,” was among the witnesses rejected by Kaplan. Kaplan deemed this testimony irrelevant.
Additionally, Bankman-Fried is not permitted to call English barrister Lawrence Akka to testify about FTX’s terms of service, which were subject to English law, as it is the judge’s role to instruct jurors on matters of law, Kaplan stated.
Prosecutors have stated their intention to summon three former FTX and Alameda executives, all of whom have entered guilty pleas, to provide testimony during Bankman-Fried’s trial, which is anticipated to extend for as long as six weeks.
In a separate ruling, the federal appeals court said no to his request to be let out of jail before the trial starts. The trial will begin on October 3.
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