US Prosecutors Oppose Temporary Release Request by Sam Bankman-Fried
In
a court filing on Wednesday (yesterday), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
firmly opposed the renewed motion for temporary release filed by Sam
Bankman-Fried, the Founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, ahead of his
upcoming trial.
The
motion sought his temporary release with stringent restrictions. However, it has been met with strong
resistance from prosecutors. They contend that the arguments put forth by
Bankman-Fried’s legal team lack specificity and fail to establish a compelling
case for his release.
DOJ’s
Opposition to Bankman-Fried’s Release
Bankman-Fried
had requested temporary release into the custody of his attorneys. He offered
to comply with measures such as being closely guarded outside the courtroom. He
would also surrender electronic devices such as laptops and phones to address
concerns about being a potential flight risk or further legal violations.
However,
the DOJ argued that
these proposed conditions did not meet the legal requirements for a defendant’s
release. In their court filing, prosecutors stated: „The defendant’s
repeated general assertions regarding the inconveniences of his detention
simply do not outweigh the dangers of his release in light of the record, as
affirmed by the Circuit, regarding his course of conduct over time.”
Judicial
Denials of Bankman-Fried’s Release Requests
Both
Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presides over Bankman-Fried’s trial, and an appeals court have previously
denied Bankman-Fried’s requests for release. Judge Kaplan’s earlier order
denying the request for „temporary release” cited a lack of
compelling reasons for the release.
Specifically,
Judge Kaplan noted that Bankman-Fried had not provided clear explanations for
how he could contribute to his defense outside of detention. Especially,
considering the months he had spent out on bail prior to his detention. Judge
Kaplan has scheduled a hearing for 10:00 am Eastern Time on Thursday. The
outcome of this hearing will determine whether Bankman-Fried will remain in
detention pending his trial, which is scheduled to begin next month.
The
legal battle surrounding Bankman-Fried
continues to draw significant attention from both the cryptocurrency and legal
communities. It raises important questions about pretrial detention and the
rights of defendants in high-profile cases.
This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.