Former CEO of the defunct crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), and his lawyers have once again made certain requests of the judge as SBF’s trial heads into its third week. This time, one of their requests raises the possibility of Sam Bankman-Fried testifying in his case.  

FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Needs Prescribed Medication

In a filing dated October 15, SBF’s primary counsel, Mark Cohen, highlighted his client’s inability to take his prescribed medication during the trial and how Sam Bankman-Fried has struggled to remain focused these past two weeks of his trial despite not having taken his prescribed dosage.

While Sam Bankman-Fried may have been able to do away with the prescribed dosage up until now, Cohen noted that the FTX founder needed to be at its optimal best, especially as the defense case is fast approaching. The prosecution is expected to rest its case on October 27 at the latest, after which Cohen and his co-counsels will open their defense. 

The defendant’s counsel also raised the possibility of SBF testifying but emphasized the importance of him having access to his medications for that to happen, as he will not be able to “meaningfully participate” in the presentation of their case without it. 

As part of their proposal to remedy this situation, Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers plan to get their client a “12-hour extended-release 20mg dose of Adderall” in the morning before he is transported to the courthouse for trial on October 16. However, they are uncertain if this would be effective and get SBF to focus throughout the day’s trial. 

If this proposal doesn’t work, his lawyers have requested that the trial be adjourned for one day (On October 17) to allow them to find a lasting solution to it. Alternatively, they have asked Judge Lewis Kaplan to allow Cohen to provide Sam Bankman-Fried with the prescribed dose of Adderall on trial days.

Prosecution And Defense Tussle On Witness Examination

So far, the defense has faced a lot of sustained objections during cross-examination. Many have come as a result of Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers asking questions that the prosecution alleges are irrelevant. 

Following this, the defense filed a letter to Judge Kaplan asking that they shouldn’t be limited to questions that are only relevant to the prosecution’s case theory and should be allowed to present their version of the facts and let the jury decide on whose version to adopt. 

In response, the prosecution also filed a letter to Judge Kaplan, in which it asked the court to deny the defense’s motion. As part of its argument, the prosecution noted that the court had addressed issues relating to the case theory before the trial commenced and that it should reject the defendant’s attempt “to seek reconsideration on the Court’s prior rulings.”