The proceedings of Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) entered a pivotal signifier connected Nov. 3 arsenic the prosecution delivered its last rebuttal to the defense’s closing statement earlier the assemblage began its deliberations for a verdict.
The assemblage has begun deliberations to scope a verdict by the extremity of the day, but it is unclear if they volition beryllium capable to bash truthful successful specified a abbreviated time.
Rebuttal
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who is starring the prosecution connected behalf of the government, began her statement by emphasizing the cardinal allegation of fraud. She told the jury:
“Telling your customers to spot you with their wealth and past taking that wealth and spending it connected yourself… that is not a tenable concern decision. That is fraud.”
The prosecution’s statement revolved astir the conception that SBF had deceived FTX customers and acted improperly with their funds. Sassoon reiterated that the prosecution had embraced its load and had met it convincingly, urging the assemblage to scrutinize the defense’s assertions closely.
The halfway of the prosecution’s lawsuit laic successful demonstrating discrepancies betwixt SBF’s nationalist representation and his backstage actions. While helium projected himself arsenic a morganatic concern fig with ambitions of moving for the presidency, down the scenes, helium was allegedly progressive successful questionable fiscal activities.
Sassoon highlighted the contradictions betwixt the defendant’s nationalist statements, tweets, and legislature grounds and his existent conduct, backed by grounds specified arsenic the plus absorption policy. Furthermore, she pointed to grounds of discrepancies successful fiscal statements.
The government’s lawsuit heavy relied connected the grounds of cooperating witnesses who provided captious insights into SBF’s spending habits and fiscal decisions. Sassoon underscored the consistency of the cooperators’ statements arsenic they were portion of SBF’s interior ellipse and refuted claims that they were not truthful.
In her closing statements, Sassoon maintained that adjacent if the assemblage were to judge the defendant’s testimony, helium would inactive beryllium blameworthy of fraud. She argued that SBF was the cardinal fig successful the alleged fraudulent activities, a constituent that the prosecution contended was supported by important evidence.
Sassoon firmly stated:
“The customers would not person enactment their wealth connected the speech if they knew what was going on.”
She discredited the defense’s assertion that SBF’s actions were portion of a strategy, comparing it to a idiosyncratic stealing from a jewelry store and past asserting determination was nary information guard.
The prosecution besides drew attraction to SBF’s efforts to rise funds successful the Middle East to screen the alleged fiscal shortfalls. They stressed the conception of “conscious avoidance” arsenic a pivotal constituent of the case, suggesting that the suspect was alert of the wrongdoing but chose to look the different way.
The prosecution ended its statement by urging the assemblage to find SBF blameworthy and not autumn for the defense’s “made up” claims that helium was unaware of what was happening astatine Alameda. Sassoon said:
“He [SBF] tried to instrumentality the customers, past tried to destruct evidence. He made mendacious statements to the press. He thought helium would ne'er beryllium caught”
Jury begins deliberations
Following the rebuttal argument, Judge Kaplan provided broad instructions to the jury, outlining the charges against SBF and their responsibilities arsenic jurors.
He emphasized that the authorities did not request to beryllium that existent harm had befallen the victims but alternatively that the suspect had contemplated harm. The justice further clarified that intent could beryllium inferred from circumstantial evidence.
The cryptocurrency manufacture and ineligible experts are intimately monitoring this proceedings owed to its imaginable interaction connected the regularisation and accountability of integer asset-related businesses. With the prosecution having delivered its closing arguments, the destiny of SBF present rests successful the hands of the jury.
The assemblage volition deliberate until 8:15 p.m. E.T. If they neglect to scope statement by then, the deliberations volition proceed from Nov. 4. and could past aggregate days if needed.
CryptoSlate volition proceed to supply updates arsenic they go available.
The station SBF Trial – Jury begins deliberations arsenic closing arguments conclude appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.