FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Requests Juror Questions Ahead of Trial – What Was Asked?

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September 12, 2023

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Disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has submitted a list of proposed jury questions to a Manhattan federal court as he prepares for his upcoming fraud trial.

According to a Bloomberg report from Tuesday, some of the questions aim to gauge potential jurors’ attitudes towards crypto, political donations, and “effective altruism,” an approach to charitable donations that Bankman-Fried was a proponent of.

What questions were asked?

One of the suggested questions asked “If a company involved in the cryptocurrency industry or the financial industry fails, do you feel that only the owners of the company must be to blame?”

The proposed questionnaire also included questions about jurors’ knowledge of FTX and Bankman-Fried, their experience with crypto trading, their opinions on “amassing wealth to improve the world and help others,” and whether they have any experience with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Bankman-Fried takes medication for ADHD, and his lawyers reportedly want the jury to be aware of how the condition can affect his behavior.

Jury questions are a standard part of trial proceedings and provide insights into potential issues that may arise during the case.

Trial to begin October 3

The trial against the former exchange boss is set to begin on October 3, with Judge Lewis A. Kaplan overseeing the jury selection process.

As is standard practice, both prosecutors and defense attorneys will have the opportunity to dismiss jurors they believe may not be favorable to their respective sides.

Earlier this month, Bankman-Fried’s legal team once again requested a pre-trial release for their client due to poor internet access in the federal jail that prevents him from properly preparing for the trial.

“Despite the government’s efforts, there does not appear to be a way to solve the internet access problem in the cellblock. The defendant cannot prepare for trial with these kinds of limitations,” SBF’s lawyers wrote in the request.

Initially, Bankman-Fried was allowed to prepare for his defense from his parent’s home in Palo Alto, California, albeit with some restrictions on his internet access.

However, he was taken into custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Manhattan on August 11 over concerns about possible witness tampering.