Judge Kaplan Rejects Bankman-Fried’s Request for Sentencing Delay, Affirms March 2024 Date

In a current growth within the high-profile case of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founding father of the now-defunct crypto change FTX, a request for postponement of the sentencing listening to was firmly denied by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. Bankman-Fried’s authorized crew had sought a 4 to six-week adjournment, citing the necessity for extra preparation time. However, the courtroom’s refusal to grant this extension marks a big second on this ongoing authorized saga.

Sam Bankman-Fried Sentencing Date Proceeds as Kaplan Denies Delay

The protection, representing Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), submitted a formal request for the adjournment of the sentencing listening to, initially scheduled for March 28, 2024. This plea was grounded within the protection’s requirement for extra time to collect crucial supplies and put together adequately for the upcoming presentence interview. The protection emphasised the significance of this extra time for an intensive and truthful preparation course of.

“The defense requires the additional time to collect materials necessary for the sentencing submission and to prepare for the presentence interview,” the letter from Cohen & Gresser LLP’s Mark Cohen and Christian Everdell particulars.

Furthermore, SBF’s protection highlighted the problem of unresolved counts within the indictment, scheduled for trial on March 11, 2024. They argued that continuing with the sentencing on the present counts, with out resolving the severed counts, may result in procedural issues and inefficiencies. This state of affairs, they contended, warranted a delay within the sentencing course of.

In their communication, SBF’s legal professionals articulated issues over the potential for a separate presentence investigation report (PSR) and a further sentencing listening to. They emphasised the necessity for equity and effectivity, suggesting that every one related conduct be thought of in a single, complete sentencing listening to.

Accordingly, the protection proposed a brand new timeline, requesting that the sentencing listening to be postponed to an early to mid-May 2024 date. This adjustment would additionally entail corresponding shifts within the dates for the primary and second disclosures of the PSR, aligning with the proposed new schedule for the sentencing listening to.

The request for a delay is reflective of the complicated nature of SBF’s case, which entails a number of fees and complex monetary dealings. The protection’s argument for postponement was rooted within the premise of making certain a good and full analysis of all elements concerned within the case.

However, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, overseeing SBF felony fraud case, denied the request for the adjournment. The denial signifies the courtroom’s intent to proceed with the prevailing timeline, indicating the urgency and significance attributed to this case. Kaplan detailed that the protection didn’t initially object to the present date which led to the most recent choice on Dec. 20, 2023.

The denial of the extension request marks a pivotal second in SBF’s authorized journey, setting the stage for the upcoming sentencing in March 2024. As the authorized proceedings proceed to unfold, the crypto neighborhood and the broader monetary world stay intently attuned to the outcomes of this landmark case.

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