Sam-Bankman Fried Uses Free-Speech Card to His Defense on Fear of Jail
Disgraced FTX founder Sam-Bankman Fried that revoking his $250 million bond and jailing him for his speech to the New York Times last month would be a violation of his free-speech rights.
Last week, US prosecutors requested a judge to revoke Sam Bankman-Fried’s $250 million bond following the publication of a New York Times story. The article quoted excerpts from a diary written by Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, who has pleaded guilty to fraud and is now cooperating with prosecutors.
Prosecutors claimed that Sam Bankman-Fried provided the diary entries to the New York Times and spoke with the reporter who wrote the article. They accused him of trying to intimidate Ellison, who might be a witness in his trial and influence the potential jurors.
However, SBF’s lawyer Mark Cohen said that detaining his client because he talked to a reporter raises “serious” First Amendment issues. He added:
“Mr. Bankman-Fried’s contact with the New York Times reporter was not an attempt to intimidate Ms. Ellison or taint the jury pool. It was a proper exercise of his rights to make fair comment on an article already in progress, for which the reporter already had alternate sources.
As the government concedes, criminal defendants have a right to talk to the press about their case to influence their public image and try to protect their reputation, as long as the communications are not calculated to pervert the course of justice”.
Sam Bankman-Fried And Court Rulings
Following the collapse of FTX last November, 31-year-old Sam Bankman-Fried is facing charges of conspiracy and fraud. The charges relate to the alleged misuse of billions of dollars of customers’ funds before the FTX crypto empire collapsed. He has been under house arrest at his parent’s home in California.
Additionally, SBF has been facing multiple allegations in addition to conspiracy and fraud. The disgraced FTX founder recently got some partial relief after the court cleared him of illicit campaign contributions.
- Matrixport Predicts Market Direction as $6B Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP Options Expire Today
- Why is Crypto Market Up Today (Oct 24)
- Breaking: 21Shares Amends Sui ETF with Staking, Nasdaq Listing, Other Key Details
- Binance’s Changpeng Zhao Takes on Senator Elizabeth Warren On False “Fraud” Allegations
- Trump Tariffs: Crypto Market Volatility Looms As US President Terminates Trade Talks With Canada
- Dogecoin Price Crash Looms as Flag, Death Cross, Falling DOGE ETF Inflows Coincide
- Solana Price Prediction as Osprey’s S-1 Filing and Hong Kong’s ETF Launch Fuel Reversal Hopes- Is $250 Next?
- Ethereum Price Poised for Breakout as Wyckoff Re-Accumulation Meets BlackRock’s $110M Purchase
- BNB Price Prediction as Analysts Eye $1500 Ahead of Fresh Coinbase and Robinhood Listings
- XRP Price Classical Pattern Points to a Rebound as XRPR ETF Hits $100M Milestone
- Chainlink Price Eyes $27 Rebound as Whales Accumulate 54M LINK
Why Trust CoinGape
CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights Read more…to our readers. Our journal analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.
