Strong feelings about cryptocurrency may be tainting the jury selection process in Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial, as prosecutors allege the former billionaire committed fraud in his operation of crypto exchange FTX. Potential jurors of the case have voiced their personal feelings, such as a potential juror who claimed he couldn’t be objective due to “everything negative” he had heard about virtual currencies. judge Lewis Kaplan cautioned that the jury would need to determine if Bankman-Fried’s actions fell within legal parameters of libel or fraud.
Judge Kaplan told prospective jurors he needed to begin opening statements by Wednesday morning, and most agreed that being familiar with cryptocurrency or the FTX exchange was acceptable so long as they could exhibit subjective fairness. Lawyers and Kaplan looked to choose 12 normal jurors and 6 alternates.However, one potential juror’s dilemma rose up when she heard that the accused, if ultimately convicted, could face over one hundred years sentence in jail.
The insurers of FTX and Alameda Research reported losses, still one prospective juror had no personal relations with the company and claimed she would be able to decide the case purely with facts. Kaplan was pleased to accept the terms.
In conclusion, selecting an impartial jury in Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud criminal trial has been painstaking ameliorated by entrenched attitudes towards virtual currency.
