- The DOJ is against SBF’s latest bid for early release.
- The prosecutors want the disgraced FTX founder to remain in custody.
- SBF’s attorneys scored small wins nonetheless.
Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) might attend his October trial in suits and ties as requested but under federal custody.
On September 27, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) opposed SBF’s “Renewed Motion” for release during trial, stating that it should be denied because his arguments were oppugned.
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Earlier in the week, SBF’s legal team had asked the court to grant the fallen crypto mogul an order for temporary release with “severe restrictions.”
Vague and Invalid Grounds
In a letter addressed to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, prosecutors in the Bankman-Fried criminal case have dismissed SBF’s assertion that he couldn’t “participate meaningfully in his own defense” unless released to the custody of his attorneys and private guards as “insufficient” to warrant for a release.
The prosecution team affirmed that the “severe” release conditions asked by SBF’s attorneys do not outweigh the danger he poses in light of his prior course of conduct.
“The Second Circuit held that this Court did not err in concluding that there were no less restrictive alternatives to detention to assure that the defendant would not pose a danger to the safety of others or the community based on his “course of conduct over time that required the district court to repeatedly tighten the conditions of release.” The letter read.
Specifically, the prosecutors noted that SBF should be ready for the trial while in custody, affirming that the court has consented to most of his requests.
Small Wins in Court
While the embattled FTX founder might have a slim chance of getting out of jail, Judge Kaplan signed off a request by SBF’s legal team to allow the defendant to use an “air-gapped,” internet-disabled laptop for taking notes during his trial.
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Judge Kaplan also granted SBF’s request for three suit jackets and pairs of slacks, four dress shirts, two pairs of shoes, four pairs of socks, one belt, and “appropriate undergarments” to wear in court during his criminal trial.
Read why SBF’s appeal for pre-trial release was denied:
SBF’s Pre-Trial Release Appeal Quashed by Three-Judge Panel
Stay updated on why SBF’s parents are the target of a recent FTX lawsuit:
FTX Sues SBF’s Parents to Recover “Millions of Dollars”
