- Sam Bankman-Fried is seeking a temporary release from jail ahead of his October trial.
- The disgraced FTX founder’s lawyers filed an appeal for a decision to jail him for alleged witness tampering.
- The lawyers cited the First Amendment to defend SBF’s recent New York Times debacle.
- Bankman-Fried previously came under fire for attempting to tamper with former colleagues Caroline Ellison and Ryne Miller.
Sam Bankman-Fried is seeking a temporary release from jail ahead of his trial which is scheduled for October 3. Lawyers representing the disgraced FTX founder recently filed an appeal with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking his release after he was incarcerated for alleged witness tampering in the lawsuit filed against him by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Lack of Computer Access For Sam Bankman-Fried In Jail
The filing by Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers late on August 25 argued that he had exercised his First Amendment rights by sharing the personal writings of former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison with the New York Times. U.S. District Judge Michael Kaplan revoked the FTX founder’s bail on August 11 after finding probable cause for a witness tampering charge in this matter.
It is unclear how a cooperating witness who has promised to testify against a defendant could be meaningfully threatened by nothing but their own statements being published by a reputable newspaper.”
Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers
According to a report by Reuters earlier today, the court filing stated that Bankman-Fried’s actions were aimed at protecting himself rather than harassing or intimidating Ellison, a former member of his inner circle who is set to testify against him in the upcoming trial. The FTX founder previously came under fire for attempting to influence Ryne Miller, the former general counsel of FTX US, who is a potential witness in the lawsuit against his ex-boss.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers also highlighted the lack of computer access at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, where the 31-year-old is currently being held. The lawyers claimed that the lack of computer access prevented the former FTX chief from analyzing evidence and preparing for the trial. Judge Kaplan previously allowed Bankman-Fried’s lawyers to meet him twice a week for six hours at a time.