The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has pushed to exclude former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s proposed expert witnesses from his upcoming October trial. In a filing that was made on Monday, the DOJ stated that the proposed witnesses “suffer from an array of deficiencies that warrant preclusion” of all seven proposals.
Subsequently, the department is seeking to bar the witnesses from testifying in the trial. Moreover, the DOJ has stated the inadmissible nature of the witnesses. Thereafter, calling for the court to “preclude such impermissible expert testimony,” the filing.
Also Read: Sam Bankman-Fried Rejects Charges, Pleads Not Guilty
Bankman-Fried’s Expert Witnesses May Be Barred From Trial
The past few years have seen the dramatic unfolding of Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal court debacle. Since the collapse of FTX, the founder of the crypto exchange has been engaged in a massive legal proceeding. Now, in the latest chapter of that saga, his proposed witnesses are being called into question.
Specifically, the DOJ has filed to exclude all seven of Bankman-Fried’s proposed expert witnesses from the October trial. Indeed, the filing states that “The defense’s proposed experts and accompanying disclosures suffer from an array of deficiencies that warrant the preclusion of all seven witnesses.”
Also Read: Bankman-Fried Indicted for Donating $100 Million in Customer Funds
The prosecutors say that these experts don’t follow the minimum criminal procedure law. Moreover, they claim that they lack reliability, and their testimony could be based on prejudice.
“The court should exercise its gatekeeping authority and preclude such impermissible expert testimony,” the file read. Conversely, the seven witnesses are comprised of an English lawyer, four different consulting firm heads, a law professor, and the assistant professor of a business school.
Moreover, these experts are set to testify regarding various aspects of both FTX and Alameda Research. Specifically, regarding things like Terms of Service, blockchain technology, and accounting practices.