Lawyers for former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman Fried have requested pre-trial release, citing the lack of adequate internet connection in federal prison. The SBF legal team argued that poor internet connection prevented the preparation of the defense, resulting in loss of time.
Deposit After the appellate judge rejected SBF’s request for immediate release on September 6, the second request for preventive release, filed last week, was heard in court on September 8. The judge then sent the motion back to the next three-judge panel..
SBF’s legal team argued that despite government assurances that their client would have access to a laptop between 8am and 7pm on weekdays, such promises did not come true. The attorneys also cited several cases where SBF’s access to an internet-connected laptop was terminated due to prison proceedings.
The first incident occurred on September 1, when Bankman-Fried was called to his cell for a check-up at 2.30pm, costing him four hours of preparation time. In the second case, he was released from the SBF cell only at 11:00 in the morning on September 6. When Bankman-Fried tried to access the evidence database, poor Internet connection allowed us to review only one document in the database. The legal team noted in their documents:

“Despite the government’s efforts, there appears to be no way to resolve the issue of Internet access at the cell block. This means Mr Bankman-Fried has no opportunity to review and consult documents in the evidence database or AWS before the trial.” “The defendant cannot prepare for trial with such restrictions.”

Following his arrest in the Bahamas on December 12 last year, SBF was released on $250 million bail and subsequently spent most of his time confined to his parents’ home in California. However, it was revoked after it was revealed that he had been granted bail on 11 August. Attempting to contact and intimidate former FTX executives and witnesses in the case.
Bankman-Fried’s legal team has since made various objections requesting preventive evacuation; However, the judges who heard these requests argued that he had violated his bail conditions many times and therefore could not be released immediately.

Translation by Walter Rizzo