Bankman-Fried's Lawyer Rejects US Govt's Proposed Jury Questions

By: Isha Das

The legal representative of Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has expressed concerns over the proposed jury questions for the upcoming fraud trial. The defense team alleges that these questions, presented by the United States government, contain bias that could lead to an unfair trial.

Mark Cohen, Bankman-Fried's attorney, argues that the language used in the jury selection questions already insinuates Bankman-Fried's guilt in fraud and money laundering. He asserts that phrases like "his fraud" rather than "his alleged fraud" or just "fraud" could suggest that Bankman-Fried stepped beyond the law as an established fact. Cohen urges that the court must remind potential jurors that Bankman-Fried is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The defense attorney also suggested that the court should consider the voir dire proposed by Bankman-Fried himself. This recommendation comes despite the U.S. government's dismissal of Bankman-Fried's proposed questions as unnecessary and time-consuming. The trial will officially begin on October 4, with jury selection set to commence on October 3. Binance.com