The high-profile trial of former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried kicked off on Oct. 3 with loads of exercise each inside and outdoors of the cramped Manhattan courtroom.
Journalists, crypto influencers and different gawkers reportedly gathered in a media overflow room to take notes on the day’s occasions. Listed below are a few of the most colourful observations concerning the day.
Noticeably leaner, signature haircut gone
The defendant, Bankman-Fried, appeared noticeably leaner, in keeping with a number of stories.
Flanked by 5 protection legal professionals, he was wearing a navy go well with that appeared greater on him in earlier appearances, and his signature unkempt curly locks have been subbed for a shorter coiffure.
A few of the first court docket sketches of SBF’s new haircut by Jane Rosenberg for Reuters: pic.twitter.com/n0FqW71PWD
— Luc Cohen (@cohenluc) October 3, 2023
Unchained Crypto’s Laura Shin famous that Bankman-Fried was noticeably “much less jittery than regular.”
“I didn’t see him shake his leg in any respect,” she mentioned in an Oct. 3 podcast.
The one time he spoke was to say “sure” to the choose and sometimes have a look at the jurors. Different occasions, he conferred together with his legal professionals or was seen typing and scrolling on his air-gapped laptop computer.
MY SBF HAIRCUT SKETCH VS COURT GUY pic.twitter.com/rNC4MC2xRK
— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) October 3, 2023
SBF has spent the previous seven weeks or so locked up at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Middle. When his legal professionals unsuccessfully argued for his launch, they claimed that he was subsisting on “bread and water” and missing vegan meal choices.
Crypto influencer Tiffany Fong mentioned, “He type of seems extra prison now.”
Journalists, influencers and skeptics come to “crypto promenade”
The primary day of the trial was described as feeling like “the primary day of faculty,” in keeping with some journalists in attendance.
“I’ve by no means seen the courthouse like this,” remarked an unnamed member of the press, in keeping with The Slate.
“Whereas ready to entry the media overflow room, I noticed virtually anybody and everybody who’s had one thing to say about decentralized forex over the previous couple of years,” mentioned The Slates’ Nitish Pahwa.
He described it as a “crypto promenade” full of a hodgepodge of paid media members, crypto influencers, obsessives, skeptics and extra.
i’m standing outdoors of SDNY for SBF’s trial pic.twitter.com/WDGd8kVqdQ
— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) October 3, 2023
Cointelegraph reporter Ana Paula Pereira can also be in attendance and can give day by day updates on probably the most vital developments all through the trial.
Jurors get whittled down, and a few share unhappy crypto tales
Decide Lewis B. Kaplan advised the burgeoning crowd of potential jurors: “You’re to do no analysis. You aren’t to learn press protection”; nevertheless, he lightened up when it got here to questioning the gang, reported Cointelegraph.
Potential jurors have been requested if they’d prior data about FTX and Alameda, with one saying they discovered about it from The Joe Rogan Expertise podcast, in accordance to a partial transcript from Interior Metropolis Press.
One juror mentioned they labored with an organization that invested in (and misplaced cash on) FTX and Alameda. One other potential juror mentioned:
“I invested in crypto. I misplaced cash.”
One juror shared that he wasn’t positive if he might be unbiased with crypto: “I’ve felt negatively about it since I discovered about it.” He was later dismissed from the pool of potential jurors.
One other juror even requested the choose whether or not a dying sentence might be imposed for Bankman-Fried, to which the choose answered:
“We’ll get to it in a minute or two, and my reply should suffice. Anybody unwilling to just accept that punishment is as much as the court docket? Nobody.”
On the finish of the session, Decide Kaplan mentioned, “We now have a adequate group of certified jurors, 50.” He added that 18 folks will probably be chosen in whole, 12 of whom will probably be jurors with six alternates.
He added that on the following day (Oct. 4), a microphone will probably be handed round for every juror to talk for a minute. “Then the legal professionals will confer, and the ultimate choice will probably be made,” he concluded.
Witnesses for the prosecution
An assistant U.S. legal professional learn out an inventory of potential witnesses for the prosecution. This included some anticipated names, comparable to former firm executives Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Ryne Miller and Constance Wang; relations Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried; and even Anthony Scaramucci.
A number of establishments have been additionally listed, together with Jane Avenue Capital, Sequoia Capital, BlockFi, Genesis, the Ontario Lecturers’ Pension Plan, Binance, Nexo, Guarding Towards Pandemics (the nonprofit of SBF’s brother) and Voyager Digital.
Six-week trial anticipated
Decide Kaplan mentioned that the trial was anticipated to take about six weeks, however he additionally famous that it might be over in a a lot shorter time.
Associated: What has Sam Bankman-Fried been as much as in jail?
Nonetheless, by the top of the day, he had not succeeded in finalizing the jury. Kaplan predicted that this might be accomplished by the morning of Oct. 4, after which each side are anticipated to offer opening arguments totaling round 90 minutes.
We determined for example the lead-up to @SBF_FTX‘s trial. Right here’s Bankman-Fried’s life within the slammer. From mirror monologues to peanut butter banquets, the autumn is actual. pic.twitter.com/v73IA6d5l2
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) October 3, 2023
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