<\/p>\n
The lawyer representing Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of the now-defunct exchange FTX, has claimed that the proposed jury questions for the upcoming fraud trial might potentially elicit biased responses.<\/p>\n
In a court filing<\/a> on September 29, lawyer Mark Cohen, who is representing Bankman-Fried, contends that the jury questions presented by the US government contain loopholes that could result in an unfair trial for Bankman-Fried.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Government\u2019s proposed voir dire discourages full disclosure from potential jurors, fails to elicit sufficient information to allow the defense to ascertain potential juror bias, and risks tainting the jury by presenting the allegations in a prejudicial manner.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Cohen stresses the importance of the court reminding potential jurors that Bankman-Fried is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.<\/p>\n He also argues that the language used in the jury selection questions already portrays a biased image, presuming Bankman-Fried’s guilt in fraud and money laundering.<\/p>\n \u201cIn particular, by referring to \u201chis fraud,\u201d rather than \u201chis alleged fraud\u201d or simply \u201cfraud,\u201d the final sentence in paragraph 3 improperly suggests that fraud by Mr. Bankman-Fried is an established fact.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Furthermore, Cohen argued that the court should use the voir dire proposed by <\/a>Bankman-Fried.<\/p>\n However, Cointelegraph recently reported that the US government opposed Bankman-Fried’s proposed questions, declaring them unnecessary and time-consuming. <\/p>\n Specifically, it objects to his questions concerning pretrial publicity, the effective altruism philosophical movement, political donations and lobbying, and attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).<\/p>\n Related: FTX founder\u2019s plea for temporary release should be denied, prosecution says<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Jury selection will commence on October 3, preceding the trial’s<\/a> start on October 4.<\/p>\n