Prosecutors in the case involving FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried are facing accusations of exaggerating the level of access he has to defense materials. In a memo submitted by his defense attorneys, it was asserted that Bankman-Fried’s access to critical resources for his defense has fallen short of the Department of Justice’s claims. SBF has been grappling with inadequate internet access, a significant hindrance when he is brought to a cell block at the Southern District of New York courthouse.
SBF legal team refutes DOJ’s claim
The SBF defense team has argued that he has not been granted the extensive air-gapped computer access that the Department of Justice indicated he would have. This ongoing dispute has led his defense to assert that his Sixth Amendment rights are being violated. The case took an interesting turn when the Department of Justice submitted a letter earlier in the week, stating that Bankman-Fried now had access to multiple hard drives containing defense materials provided by his legal team.
The DOJ further claimed that he had access to an air-gapped laptop every day of the week and an internet-enabled laptop equipped with a new battery, all courtesy of his defense attorneys. However, SBF’s defense team swiftly responded, contending that the proposed plan was not feasible in practice. In light of this, Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered Bankman-Fried’s legal team to specify the inaccuracies they had identified in the Department of Justice’s claims.
In the memo submitted on Friday, Bankman-Fried’s attorneys outlined the issues they encountered. They revealed that despite being granted access to an internet-enabled computer when produced to the courthouse on Wednesday, SBF was able to load only a single document due to poor internet speeds. This effectively meant that he had no access to the internet throughout the entire five-hour period.
Defense attorneys list the difficulties that SBF is facing
The memo emphasized the severity of the situation noting that despite the government’s efforts, there has been no way to solve the internet access problem in the cellblock. That also means that Mr. Bankman-Fried has no way to review and search documents in the discovery database or the AWS database before the trial. The defendant cannot prepare for trial with these kinds of limitations.
Additionally, it was revealed that Bankman-Fried has not been provided with the full amount of time to use an air-gapped computer, a commitment that prosecutors had made earlier. The memo further expressed the frustration of Bankman-Fried’s defense team, noting that almost an entire month had passed since his remand, and this time had been lost in effectively preparing for trial. Consequently, they reiterated their request that the court order his temporary release to address these pressing issues.
The ongoing battle over adequate access to defense materials underscores the challenges faced by high-profile individuals like Sam Bankman-Fried when navigating the legal system. It also raises questions about the balance between protecting public safety and ensuring that individuals are provided with the necessary resources to prepare for their defense in a fair and timely manner.
As the case continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the court will address these issues and whether Bankman-Fried’s request for temporary release will be granted. The outcome of this case will undoubtedly have implications for how legal proceedings involving prominent figures in the cryptocurrency industry are conducted in the future.
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