FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried testifies outside jury's presence as judge decides what he can say
Sam Bankman-Fried got a test run at testifying at his New York criminal trial when a judge sent jurors home but let him demonstrate portions of his testimony before deciding what jurors will hear on Friday
NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Sam Bankman-Fried got a test run at testifying at his fraud trial Thursday when a judge sent jurors home so he could hear snippets of testimony and decide what the FTX founder will be allowed to tell the jury.
Bankman-Fried has decided to testify Friday to tell his version of how his multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency empire grew into a giant in the industry and then collapsed, causing billions of dollars in losses that prosecutors blame on his extravagant spending on investments, donations and a lavish lifestyle.
It seemed on Thursday that Bankman-Fried was about to start his testimony before the jury after lunch when Judge Lewis A. Kaplan changed the plans, saying he'd prefer to make rulings on what Bankman-Fried can testify about before he starts. He had previously said he'd conduct a hearing and make those rulings on Friday.
“We're in the home stretch,” Kaplan told jurors as he sent them home for the day, saying he knew it was a little surprise for them to have the rest of the afternoon off. He told them they were likely to get the case in the first few days of next week.
Since early October, prosecutors have presented their case through witnesses and dozens of exhibits including financial records.
After prosecutors rested Thursday, defense lawyers immediately asked Kaplan to acquit Bankman-Fried on the grounds that prosecutors had failed to present sufficient evidence. The judge rejected the request.
The California entrepreneur has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges accusing him of
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