How Heated Sidebars During the SBF Trial Could Impact the Jury’s Decision

The second week of Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial is underway, bringing emotional testimony from SBF’s ex-girlfriend and former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison, along with some surprising stories about alleged bribes to Chinese officials and discussion about reaching out to the Saudi Crown Prince for help. Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs, discusses why the question of who was actually in charge is so critical to the case, the defense’s strategy to discredit Caroline Ellison, and why sidebars in the courtroom can get so heated.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Show highlights:

• Why Caroline Ellison is a critical witness on a “number of levels,” according to Ari
• What a software developer at FTX revealed about whether SBF was directing trades
• Why a lawyer’s body language is something the jury looks out for
• Why there have been so many sidebars in the trial and why they can sometimes get heated
• The reason why the lawyers, particularly the defense team, have been so repetitive with their questions
• Considering the long prison sentence SBF is facing, why Ari “doesn’t understand” SBF’s decision to push forward with the trial
• Whether, after three days of testimonies, Ellison has come out as a credible witness for the jury
• Why the defense is facing an “uphill fight” and whether testimony from SBF would serve as a final Hail Mary for them

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Guest

• Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs.
  • Previous appearances on Unchained:
    • Is TRM Labs Blocking Addresses From DeFi Protocols? Ari Redbord Says Yes
    • The Legal and Regulatory Fallout From Terra’s Collapse: Who Will Pay?
    • How Much Prison Time Is FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Facing?

READ THE EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE

Links

• Previous coverage by Unchained on the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried:
  • Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: Here’s Everything That Happened So Far
  • SBF Trial, Day 1: Possible Witnesses Include FTX Insiders, Big Names in Crypto, and SBF’s Family
  • SBF Trial, Day 2: DOJ Says Sam Bankman-Fried ‘Lied’ While Defense Claims His Actions Were ‘Reasonable’
  • SBF Trial, Day 3: Why a True Believer in FTX Flipped Once He Learned One Fact
  • SBF Trial, Day 4: SBF’s Lawyers Annoy Judge Kaplan, While Wang Reveals Alameda’s Special Privileges
  • SBF Trial, Day 5: SBF’s Defense Finally Found Its Legs, But Can It Counter Caroline Ellison?
  • SBF Trial, Day 6: Caroline Ellison Recalls ‘The Worst Week of My Life’
  • SBF’s Lawyers Could Be Annoying the Judge. How Might That Impact the Trial?
  • Did Sam Bankman-Fried Have Intent to Defraud FTX Investors?
  • Here’s How Sam Bankman-Fried’s High-Stakes Trial Could Play Out
  • SBF Trial: How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Might Try and Win His Case
  • The High-Stakes Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried Begins: What to Expect
• Go deeper into the trial:
  • In the SBF Case, Elite Corruption Is What’s Really on Trial
  • Cooperating Witnesses in the SBF Trial May Get Little to No Prison Time