On Sept. 15, the United States authorities responded to questions the protection has advised posing to potential jurors throughout their selection for the case in opposition to former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. He faces seven expenses of fraud and cash laundering in reference to the collapse of the cryptocurrency alternate that would land him in jail for many years.
The sides submitted their proposed questions to the courtroom on Sept. 11 and confirmed drastically completely different requirements for selection.
In a letter addressed to Judge Lewis Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams objected to questions in 4 of the 14 sections of voir dire proposed by the protection. Voir dire is the method of questioning potential jurors. Williams wrote:
“The defendant’s proposed voir dire contains numerous unnecessary and time-consuming questions, often soliciting open-ended discussion, as well as questions that are repetitive, prejudicial, and argumentative.”
Specifically, Williams objects to the questions in sections regarding pretrial publicity, the efficient altruism philosophical motion, political donations and lobbying, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity dysfunction (ADHD).
Related: Sam Bankman-Fried says, ‘I did what I thought was right,’ in leaked docs: Report
The pretrial publicity part has a shaky authorized basis, whereas questions about efficient altruism “are a thinly veiled attempt to advance a defense narrative.” Questions about political donations are irrelevant and people about ADHD are irrelevant and prejudicial, Williams wrote. Bankman-Fried is said to suffer from ADHD.
SBF’s jury selection delayed by at some point to Oct 3. pic.twitter.com/twfb5b69Q9
— Amy Castor (@ahcastor) September 13, 2023
The authorities’s questions, in distinction, are “standard, neutral, and appropriate,” Williams wrote. Both sides suggest asking future jurors about their attitudes towards cryptocurrency. Among the protection questions is:
“If a company involved in the cryptocurrency industry or the financial industry fails, do you feel that only the owners of the company must be to blame?”
Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to the costs in opposition to him. His trial will start in New York on Oct. 3.
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