Ex-FTX chief Sam Bankman-Fried is slated to make his case directly to the jury in his ongoing trial, as shared by his defense lawyer, Mark Cohen. Bankman-Fried’s decision to testify comes on the heels of several witnesses who have spoken against him in recent weeks.
Facing Accusations: Sam Bankman-Fried Prepares to Plead His Case Directly to Jury
Having already shared his side of the story with outlets like The New York Times and Good Morning America, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) is gearing up to assert his innocence to a panel comprising 12 jurors and six alternate jurors.
Defense counsel Mark Cohen announced that SBF will take the witness stand, in a press statement conducted via teleconference on Wednesday. This development has been widely reported, with Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press providing insights. Russell Lee has confirmed that he will be broadcasting a live stream of SBF’s testimony through social media platform X.
SBF has sat through testimonies from past colleagues, including Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, and Nishad Singh. He has also heard from FTX’s former general counsel and the CEO of Blockfi, all of whom have testified against him.
Despite these challenges, the ex-FTX CEO maintains his innocence, pleading not guilty to all charges, even as he stares down a potential sentence of over 100 years in prison. His testimony is scheduled for Thursday, October 26, 2023, and Cohen has hinted that it will be a comprehensive examination likely to take all day.
SBF won’t be the only one speaking in his defense; Joseph Pimbley of PF2 Securities is also set to testify on his behalf. The latest development follows strategic moves by both the U.S. government and SBF’s defense team as they submitted their juror preferences and requests in anticipation of the trial’s outcome.
What do you think about SBF testifying at his trial this week? Share your thoughts and opinions about this subject in the comments section below.
