As a seasoned researcher with years of experience delving into complex legal cases, I find myself intrigued by Sam Bankman-Fried’s appeal for a new trial. It’s a fascinating blend of high finance, technology, and law that has captured the attention of many.


As a researcher, I am sharing that Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, has initiated an appeal to request a retrial. In this 102-page appeal submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, his attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, contends that the trial was mishandled and crucial evidence was withheld.

Shapiro asserted that Judge Lewis Kaplan, along with federal prosecutors and the media, deemed Sam Bankman-Fried as guilty even before the trial on bail. His lawyer argued that this bias within the jury potentially affected the trial unfairly, working against Bankman-Fried’s defense.

Appeal Alleges Bankman-Fried Was Barred from Key Evidence in Trial

In November, FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty on all seven counts related to defrauding FTX’s customers, lenders, and investors. Prosecutors portrayed him as one of the most significant fraudsters of the past decade, drawing parallels with Bernie Madoff. He was subsequently arrested and sentenced to serve 25 years in prison.

In the appeal, Shapiro argues that only a portion of the total evidence was shown to the jury during the trial. Shapiro was taken aback when the court stated that Bankman-Fried’s intention to misuse customer funds was irrelevant and, as a result, limited the jury’s understanding of the case. Furthermore, she alleges that Bankman-Fried was prevented from introducing evidence showing that FTX and its hedge fund, Alameda, were financially sound, as well as discussing how he based certain business decisions on legal counsel.

Shapiro also disagrees with how the prosecution portrayed Bankman-Fried’s financial activities, arguing that it was misleading. She pointed out that significant investments, including a $500 million investment in Anthropic and others like Solana, were more about liquidity issues rather than solvency problems.

The appeal claims that the prosecution lacked evidence and that if Bankman-Fried had his chance in the jury trial, the case against him would have been dismissed. The FTX estate has since regained up to $16.3 billion worth of lost funds, thus obscuring the complete picture of financial ruin.

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2024-09-14 17:45