Recent developments in the Southern District of New York, along with the challenges in Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial process, highlight the tension that arose during Wednesday’s hearing between Bankman-Fried’s attorneys and Judge Lewis Kaplan over the postponement of the trial.
Temporary Release from Prison Requested
In the past few days, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers had indicated that their client lacked sufficient internet access to review millions of pages of documents and prepare a defense while in prison. Due to these reasons, they had requested his temporary release from prison prior to the upcoming trial or at least permission for more frequent meetings with his attorneys.
Due to the excessive volume of documents received prior to the trial, they also expressed that they couldn’t adequately prepare for the defense and that this was obstructing their right to a fair trial.
Postponement Request for the Trial Will Not Be Granted
However, Judge Kaplan stated that there was no intention on the government’s part to use the documents as evidence in a malicious way. At this point, disagreements and tensions arose between the attorneys and the judge. Judge Kaplan granted Bankman-Fried’s attorneys until Friday to request a postponement for the hearing scheduled on October 3rd, but he also made it clear that this request might not be accepted.
The trial process that began after the former billionaire’s imprisonment seems to be facing both legal and technical challenges. While the attorneys emphasize the lack of sufficient time for their client to mount a fair defense, Judge Kaplan asserts that a postponement request that could affect this trial will not be approved.
