In recent times, the cryptocurrency industry has seen a resurgence: markets are on the rise, venture capital funding is flowing back in, and politicians are once again showing support for the sector. However, amidst all this, the mainstream media seems to have moved on from the once-prominent figure of SBF, the fallen crypto king. Could a new legal team and fresh evidence change the outcome of SBF’s case if presented in court?
SBF’s previous trial lawyers, Mark Cohen and Christian Everdell, stepped down after his conviction, leading to his new legal team taking over his case. On September 13, SBF’s new lead lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, filed an appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, outlining the reasons why SBF believes he deserves a second chance at a fair trial.
Shapiro’s appeal emphasizes the importance of the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial for individuals accused of crimes in the United States. The document, spanning 102 pages, argues that SBF was not given a fair trial, especially considering the intense public scrutiny surrounding the FTX case at the time.
The appeal alleges that SBF was unfairly portrayed as guilty by federal prosecutors seeking quick headlines, as well as by the judge presiding over his trial. The prevailing narrative of FTX’s collapse and SBF’s alleged involvement was accepted as truth without proper investigation, according to Shapiro.
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“From the outset, the prevailing narrative was that Bankman-Fried had embezzled billions of dollars of customer funds, driven FTX into insolvency, and caused massive losses,” the appeal states, highlighting the need for a thorough examination of the facts and evidence.
