The Judge Allows Questioning About Drug Use
A judge has ruled that Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers can question Department of Justice (DOJ) witnesses about their recreational drug use during the FTX founder’s fraud trial. Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York resolved several pretrial motions, allowing the DOJ to admit certain evidence. He also denied motions from both sides: the DOJ’s motion to block cross-examination about privileged issues and Bankman-Fried’s team’s motion to block evidence related to the cryptocurrency exchange’s bankruptcy.
Evidence Admissible
Although the defense team is allowed to cross-examine witnesses about their recreational drug use, they must provide prior notice to the court and the government. The judge also permitted the DOJ to present evidence suggesting that Bankman-Fried created the FTT token, directed Alameda to hold a significant amount of it, and supported market manipulation of the token. The judge stated that this evidence is admissible as it is considered part of the alleged conspiracy and demonstrates a relationship of mutual trust.
Addressing Jury Concerns
The judge noted that certain issues that may influence the jury could be addressed through jury instructions if requested. However, he did not rule on the defense’s motion regarding Bankman-Fried’s use of autodeletion policies on messaging apps, stating that more specifics are needed. Additionally, a DOJ motion to admit certain out-of-court statements from witnesses was denied without prejudice, pending clarification of the statements’ content.
The Trial Date
The trial is scheduled to begin on October 3.
Hot Take: Key Rulings in FTX Founder’s Fraud Trial Pretrial Motions
Judge Lewis Kaplan has made key rulings in the pretrial motions for the fraud trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. The judge allowed the defense team to question DOJ witnesses about their recreational drug use, although with prior notice to the court and government. He also permitted the DOJ to present evidence of Bankman-Fried’s involvement in creating the FTT token and market manipulation. However, certain issues that may affect the jury could be addressed through jury instructions if requested. The trial is set to begin on October 3.
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