Sam Bankman-Fried Pleads Not Guilty To New Superseding Indictment
A visibly skinnier SBF donning a prison jumpsuit for the first time pleaded not guilty to seven charges
By: Zack Guzman
August 22, 2023
Sam Bankman-Fried appeared in court Tuesday donning a beige prison jumpsuit for the first time to plead not guilty to charges before a magistrate judge.
A normally routine hearing became slightly more than that as SBF's defense team re-pressed certain issues already denied just a day prior by the ranking judge in his case, Judge Kaplan.
After SBF pleaded not guilty to the seven charges listed in the government's new superseding indictment, his defense team argued that his Sixth Amendment rights to a fair trial are being infringed. His attorneys had previously requested Bankman-Fried be allowed access to an internet-enabled laptop for five days at the courthouse during the week to review case materials before trial. That request was denied by Judge Kaplan on Monday.
Due to the "voluminous" amounts of documents in contention, SBF's attorneys argued that it's simply "not sufficient" for him to have such little time to review discovery material with just weeks to go before the start of his trial.
The magistrate judge noted that Judge Kaplan had already ruled on the issue, noting, "I don't think it's really my place to reconsider the issue." As Coinage has noted, legal experts have been paying close attention to the maneuvering by SBF's defense team to potentially set up a stronger appeal after the conclusion of the trial. SBF's lawyers also noted that he had yet to receive his prescription of Adderall since being detained at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center.
SBF's attorneys further griped that their client had been denied access to vegan and vegetarian meals despite his requests. "He continues to be served a flesh diet," his attorney Mark Cohen pleaded, adding that SBF is mostly eating bread and sometimes peanut butter.
Barbara Fried, SBF's mother, was able to consult with her son as reporters were escorted out of the courtroom.
Coinage has continued to report on the pillars of SBF's defense based on an outline he provided before he was detained. We have consulted with legal experts, including Bernie Madoff's former prosecutor, on what happens next.
SBF's legal team has been ordered to file a motion outlining his "advice of counsel" defense by Wednesday. Coinage has already previewed what is likely to come.
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Disclosure: Alameda Ventures is one investor among many in Trustless Media, the production company behind Coinage. Sullivan & Cromwell is now also legal counsel for Alameda Ventures via the FTX Bankruptcy Estate.
