Department of Justice of the United States Rejects Sam Bankman-Fried’s Request for ‘Temporary Release’

During the trial, the defense team for the FTX founder requested that Bankman-Fried be released into their custody.

In a court document made on Wednesday, the United States Department of Justice argued that Sam Bankman-Fried’s latest request for temporary probation should be granted, even with difficult conditions.

Prosecutors opposed a request to release Bankman-Fried from jail ahead of his trial next month, arguing that the defendant’s claims that he would be unable to adequately prepare his case are too general and do not stand up in light of his experienced legal team.

The defendant’s “generalized claims” about how he wants to help his defense attorney are “largely recycled” in the document. He says his arrest has hindered or made more inconvenient “these unnamed efforts.”

Bankman-Fried’s lawyers requested that he be released into their care, with the understanding that he would be monitored outside of court and denied access to any electronic devices.

The Department of Justice has said that the defendant’s proposed terms do not satisfy statutory standards.

The DOJ noted that Bankman-Fried’s attempts to get released from custody had been rejected by both the trial judge, Lewis Kaplan, and an appeals court.

The judge who turned down Bankman-Fried’s previous request for “temporary release” said that his arguments did not hold up under close examination. Specifically, Judge Kaplan said that the founder of FTX had not explained what new efforts he could make to work on his defense that he hadn’t already made while he was out on bail or why his lawyers couldn’t continue working on his case now that he was in jail.

Also Read: Argentine Oil Firm Mines Cryptocurrency to Reduce Energy Waste