The trial of the former CEO of defunct crypto exchange FTX Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has taken full shape with just less than a week before it commences. In preparation, the court has released the trial calendar, which shows how long the case is expected to last.
A Close Look At The Calendar
According to the court document dated September 28, the trial is set to begin on October 4 and end on November 9. Although the first court session is set to occur on October 3, that day is solely set for Jury selection and not when the hearing will commence.
Once that is done, Judge Kaplan, the judge in charge of SBF’s case, alongside the Jury, will begin hearing the Prosecution’s case against Sam Bankman-Fried on October 4. SBF’s lawyers are also expected to open their defense at some point.
Notably, SBF’s trial will be mostly on a day-to-day basis as the court will sit four times a week for the duration of the trial. The only period in which this won’t happen is the week in which October 22 to 28 falls under. It will only sit twice that week, with court dates set for October 26 and 27.
Meanwhile, despite complaining about not having enough access to their client, the court has provided for Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers to meet with him on days on which the court doesn’t sit. Most of these days, they will be allowed to see their client between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. (7 hours). However, there are exceptions, as they can meet longer (between 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.) on certain days.
The Jury In The Sam Bankman-Fried Case
The Jury selection will take place on October 3. The Judge and lawyers from both sides will select jury members through a process known as “voir dire.” This is basically a preliminary examination of the potential jurors, with Judge Kaplan, the Prosecution, and SBF’s lawyers taking turns asking questions in a bid to determine their competence and suitability.
The main focus will be to ensure that these potential jurors are not interested in or biased toward the case, as this could be a ground for appeal if it is discovered that any of them were influenced by external factors when reaching a decision.
Upon selection, the jurors will be tasked with determining whether or not SBF is guilty of each of the seven charges leveled against him. He faces a statutory maximum of 110 years in prison if found guilty of these charges.
