Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the previous Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the now-defunct #cryptocurrency exchange #FTX , along with his legal representatives, has once more presented specific appeals to the presiding court as the trial proceedings enter their third week. In the present instance, a request put up by the concerned party introduces the prospect of Sam Bankman-Fried providing testimony in his legal matter.
Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of FTX, requires prescribed medication.
In a document filed on October 15, the principal legal representative of SBF, Mark Cohen, emphasised the client's failure to adhere to the recommended medication regimen throughout the trial. Additionally, it was noted that Sam Bankman-Fried has encountered difficulties in maintaining concentration during the previous two weeks of the trial, which may be attributed to the lack of proper medicine intake.
Although Sam Bankman-Fried has thus far been allowed to deviate from the recommended dosage, Cohen emphasised the importance of his being in peak condition, particularly considering the imminent arrival of the defence case. It is anticipated that the prosecution will conclude presenting its case no later than October 27, following which Cohen and his co-counsels will commence their defence.
The defendant’s lawyer also addressed the idea of SBF testifying but highlighted the need of him having access to his meds for that to happen, as he will not be able to “meaningfully participate” in the presenting of their case without it.
In an effort to address the aforementioned issue, the legal representatives of Sam Bankman-Fried want to get a morning administration of a "12-hour extended-release 20mg dose of Adderall" for their client before to his transfer to the courthouse for the trial scheduled on October 16th. Nevertheless, there is a lack of certainty regarding the potential effectiveness of this approach in maintaining SBF's concentration over the duration of the study.
In the event of the proposal's failure, the legal representatives of the individual in question have formally asked a one-day adjournment of the trial, namely on October 17. This adjournment is sought to provide ample time for the legal team to diligently explore and devise a sustainable resolution to the matter at hand. In an alternative request, the individual has sought Judge Lewis Kaplan's permission for Cohen to administer the designated dosage of Adderall to Sam Bankman-Fried during trial proceedings.
Up to this point, the defence has encountered a substantial number of persistent objections throughout the process of cross-examination. Numerous individuals have emerged due to the inquiries posed by Sam Bankman-Fried's legal representatives, which the prosecution contends to be inconsequential.
Subsequently, the defence sent a formal correspondence to Judge Kaplan, asserting that they should not be constrained to interrogating the witness just on matters pertinent to the prosecution's theory of the case. They argued for the opportunity to offer their own account of the events in issue, so enabling the jury to use their discretion in determining which narrative to embrace.
As a countermeasure, the prosecution submitted a written communication to Judge Kaplan, wherein it requested the court to reject the petition put forth by the defence. The prosecution presented an argument highlighting the court's past examination of case theory concerns prior to the trial and urged the court to dismiss the defendant's request for review of previous findings.
