Sun Sep 15 16:55:25 UTC 2024: ## Disgraced FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks New Trial, Accuses Judge of Bias
**New York, NY** – Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is demanding a new trial, claiming the presiding judge, Lewis A. Kaplan, exhibited bias against him throughout the proceedings. In a new filing with the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers argue that the judge’s “one-sided rulings” and “derogatory comments” created an unfair environment, ultimately hindering their client’s defense.
The filing alleges that Judge Kaplan “ridiculed” Bankman-Fried in front of the jury and consistently undermined his legal team. The lawyers also claim that a “rush to judgment” following FTX’s collapse resulted in Bankman-Fried being presumed guilty before the trial even began. They point to the media, FTX’s creditors, prosecutors, and even Judge Kaplan himself as perpetuating this assumption of guilt.
“Sam Bankman-Fried was never presumed innocent,” the filing states. “He was presumed guilty… before he was even charged.”
Bankman-Fried is appealing for the case to be remanded for a new trial before a different judge. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and three years of supervised release in March for misappropriating over $8 billion in customer funds from FTX to his trading firm, Alameda Research. He was also ordered to pay $11 billion in forfeiture.
This latest development adds another layer of complexity to the already high-profile FTX saga. The outcome of this appeal remains uncertain, but its potential to overturn the conviction and sentence raises questions about the fairness and impartiality of the original trial.
First Piper 