Lawyer of Former FTX CEO Expresses Bias Concerns in Upcoming Fraud Trial Questions
Summary:
Mark Cohen, legal representative of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, has expressed concerns regarding the proposed jury questions for the forthcoming fraud trial. Cohen argues that the approach could lead to biased responses and potentially an unfair trial. Specifically, Cohen takes issue with language in the jury selection process that presupposes Bankman-Fried's guilt. The Jury selection for the trial is scheduled to commence on October 3.
The legal representative of Sam Bankman-Fried, the erstwhile boss of the now-inoperative FTX exchange, expresses concerns that the upcoming trial's proposed jury questions may engender prejudiced answers. On September 29, a court document was filed by Mark Cohen, the officially appointed lawyer for Bankman-Fried, contesting that the jury questions, as suggested by the American government, carry potential pitfalls, thus possibly resulting in an unjust trial. The court filing mentioned, "The Government’s suggested voir dire discourages complete honesty from prospective jurors, falls short of gathering essential details for the defense to determine any bias of jurors, and may potentially corrupt the jury by narrating the accusations in a biased manner."
As per Cohen's court filing, he underscores the necessity for the court to remind the prospective jurors of Bankman-Fried’s right to be considered innocent until proven guilty beyond any reasonable doubt. Cohen also debates that the phrasing used in the process of jury selection already presupposes guilt, labeling Bankman-Fried as culpable for fraud and money laundering. He adds that phrases like "his fraud" rather than using terms like "his alleged fraud", inaccurately suggests that Bankman-Fried has already been proven guilty of fraud.
Moreover, Cohen insisted that the court should utilize the voir dire model presented by Bankman-Fried. Earlier on September 15, a report by Cointelegraph mentioned the US government rejecting Bankman-Fried's proposed questions, calling them redundant and time-wasting. The contentiousness surrounds questions about pretrial exposure, the effectiveness of altruism philosophy, political donations and lobbying, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Jury selection is scheduled for October 3, followed by the trial’s commencement on October 4. A recently published trial timeline indicates 15 full trial days in October and an additional six in November. Since August 11, Bankman-Fried has been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center, with United States District Judge Lewis Kaplan consistently denying his repeated pleas for temporary release for trial preparation.
Published At
9/30/2023 5:51:33 AM
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