Court rejects testimony from seven expert witnesses put forward by Sam Bankman-Fried

Seven adept witnesses expected to attest connected behalf of erstwhile FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried person been rejected, according to a ruling dated Sept. 21.

Bankman-Fried’s database of now-excluded witnesses featured experts successful aggregate areas, including advisor Thomas Bishop, information expert Brian Kim, instrumentality prof Bradley Smith, British barrister Lawrence Akka, advisor Joseph Pimbley, fiscal advisor Peter Vinella, and adjunct concern prof Andrew Di Wu.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed grounds from those witnesses for assorted reasons, including shortcomings successful each individual’s stated opinions and the wide irrelevance of planned testimony. Government prosecutors had asked Judge Kaplan to cull Bankman-Fried’s witnesses successful August.

The justice besides excluded immoderate witnesses connected the anticipation that grounds could confuse the assemblage and excluded immoderate ineligible experts due to the fact that their planned grounds aimed to instruct the assemblage connected issues of law.

Despite the rejections, Bankman-Fried volition beryllium allowed to telephone 4 of the supra adept witnesses, but lone successful effect to authorities witnesses.

Judge says authorities witnesser tin testify

Judge Kaplan besides declined Bankman-Fried’s ain petition to exclude grounds from Peter Easton, a University of Notre Dame accounting prof who is expected to supply grounds related to lawsuit deposits arsenic a witnesser for the prosecution.

The justice said that Bankman-Fried’s objections are “meritless oregon moot” and bash not code each of Easton’s planned testimony. He said that Easton has relevant, specialized cognition and permitted Easton to trust connected information that helium did not collect.

Prosecutors are besides expected to telephone erstwhile FTX associates, including Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, and Nishad Singh, arsenic witnesses. Those witnesses were not mentioned successful the latest filing.

During his trial, Bankman-Fried volition look 7 charges mostly related to fraud, wealth laundering, and conspiracy to perpetrate those actions. Prosecutors are expected to prosecute different charges, including campaign concern charges, astatine a aboriginal date.

The station Court rejects grounds from 7 adept witnesses enactment guardant by Sam Bankman-Fried appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.