Reports say judges are considering early release of Sam Bankman-Fried while lawyers discuss First Amendment issues

A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is reportedly weighing arguments from lawyers representing former FTX CEO Sam Bankman Fried (SBF) as it considers his release from prison ahead of his trial in October.

The SBF defense team and the United States Attorney’s Office each had about five minutes to argue before a panel of judges on September 19. one judge claimed advertiser That the SBF legal team’s First Amendment argument was “no longer relevant” based on Bankman-Fried’s alleged attempts to intimidate witnesses, including Carolyn Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research.

Lawyers representing Bankman-Fried pushed for his release due to the need for Internet access to prepare for trial, also claiming that the U.S. District Court “erred” in rejecting First Amendment arguments for his release. Bankman-Fried previously admitted revealing Ellison’s private diaries to a New York Times reporter, leading to the publication of some of their contents.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon reportedly acknowledged “there were some internet issues” while SBF was being detained at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, but noted he had time to prepare his case.

“The incident with Ms. Ellison shows an intent to interfere with a fair trial,” Sasson said. “The judge was right that the First Amendment had nothing to do with it. It was interference. The defense does not dispute that the content put Ms. Ellison in an inappropriate position.”

Bankman-Fried argued so His time in prison It violated his First Amendment rights and harmed his ability to adequately prepare for his trial, which is scheduled to begin on October 3. to rule His lawyer’s initial appeal was rejected He was released on September 6, leading to an appeal before a three-judge panel. It is not clear when the committee will make a decision on the former FTX CEO’s release, and it will likely be one of his last chances for release before trial.

The October trial will be the first of many for the former FTX CEO. The first trial will deal with seven fraud charges related to the management of user funds on the FTX and Alameda cryptocurrency exchanges. The second trial, scheduled to begin in March 2024, will address five additional criminal charges.

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