US Department of Justice sent a letter to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan requesting an extension of trial days in the Sam Bankman-Fried case.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested that the trial date for FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried be extended. The criminal trial of Sam Bankman-Fried is slated to begin on Tuesday, October 3. Still, prosecutors believe more days are necessary in the first week to ensure witness hearings and an efficient trial pace.
DOJ Requests Additional Trial Dates
Late September 19, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams requested an extension of the trial’s first week in a letter to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
As jury selection is slated to commence on October 3, it will likely consume most of the day. Additionally, only two trial days will remain the week preceding the Columbus Day holiday on October 9. Thus, the DOJ requests that October 6 be included in the trial’s opening week.
In addition, the government is scheduling travel for a large number of out-of-town witnesses, assuring the presence of an adequate number of witnesses during the first week. In addition, the Department of Justice does not want witnesses to remain in New York for an additional five days.
The Department of Justice believes an additional sitting will maximize the jury’s time, witnesses’ travel itineraries, and the trial’s pace. The defense has opposed the request for extra trial preparation time.
Sam Bankman-Fried Requests His Release Before Trial
Due to witness tampering, the judge revoked SBF’s bail and detained him. He was recently denied pretrial bail by Judge Kaplan.
Tuesday, the attorneys for Sam Bankman-Fried and the prosecutors will present their arguments before a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Both parties will have five minutes to give their views regarding Bankman-Fried’s possible release on bond.
FTX filed a lawsuit against Allan Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, the parents of Sam Bankman-Fried. During the early years of FTX, his parents fraudulently transmitted and misappropriated millions of dollars. The debtors FTX and Alameda Research seek to recover these funds.
