FTX Founder Allowed to Meet Lawyers Outside Court
- FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried can meet his legal team outside the court, but he needs to provide a 48-hour notice.
- Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered that SBF meet his lawyers and access discovery materials in his criminal case.
- SBF can meet his lawyers in a courthouse cell block post a 48-hour notice to prosecutors and the US Marshals Service.
- Kaplan’s order was in line with the accommodations the US government proposed for SBF on August 18.
The founder of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, also known as SBF in the crypto space, has found himself behind bars due to his attempts to influence witnesses, including Caroline Ellisson, the former CEO of Alameda Research. Interestingly, the judge presiding over the case has allowed the crypto entrepreneur to meet with his legal aid outside the court, provided he gives a 48-hour notice.
As per the official order filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on August 23, Judge Lewis Kaplan gave approval to SBF to meet with his lawyers and access discovery materials in his criminal case in a courthouse cell block. However, this is only possible when the FTX founder provides a 48-hour notice to prosecutors and the US Marshals Service.
Interestingly, the order came after Judge Kaplan, along with the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the lawyers representing the FTX founder, came to a conclusion on the discussion regarding how much time SBF can spend outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to assist the lawyers in the case.
Additionally, Kaplan also added that the order was in line with the accommodations the US government proposed for SBF on August 18. While the details of the offer were mostly removed, it claimed that the U.S. Marshals Service “offered these extraordinary accommodations in light of the unique nature of this case.”
The legal team representing the FTX founder filed a motion to allow Bankman-Fried to stay outside of prison five days a week, but the motion was not successful. The crypto entrepreneur was jailed after the court found him trying to influence crucial witnesses in the case.
As reported earlier by Bitnation, SBF was given one day to meet with his lawyers on August 22. He had close to 7 hours of meeting time with the lawyers in the cell block attorney room at the courthouse. Moreover, he was also allowed to use a laptop between 30 a.m. EST and 3 p.m. during his meeting with the counsel on August 22.
A crypto journalist with over 3 years of experience in DeFi, NFT, metaverse, etc. Parth has worked with major media outlets in the crypto and finance world and has gained experience and expertise in crypto culture after surviving bear and bull markets over the years.
