Lawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), a notable Bitcoin entrepreneur presently in prison, have expressed worry about the difficult conditions in which he seeks to undertake his discovery process. These concerns include internet speed issues and frequent interruptions, which they believe impede SBF’s production.
According to a recent court filing, interruptions have been a constant issue during SBF’s extensive discovery procedure within the prison setting. According to the complaint, the government conducted internet speed tests in the cellblock area to address connectivity concerns.
Overwhelmed by the mounting pile of evidence against him, SBF has expressed his displeasure. His legal team had previously claimed that the government should only be able to give the defense millions of pages of material at least six weeks before the trial.
While SBF has access to an air-gapped laptop that blocks connectivity to other devices during particular hours on weekdays and weekends, his legal team has documented several disruptions caused by prison staff. One significant difficulty is that his work in the legal visiting room was interrupted by prison protocol, which required him to return to his cell for an average prisoner count. This process consumed a large portion of his time, with one day resulting in a 50% time loss due to roll-call.
According to the complaint, “the defendant was informed by MDC staff that he had to leave the legal visiting room at 2:30 p.m. and return to his unit for the prisoner count, which deprived him of approximately 4.5 hours of additional review time.”
This isn’t the first time SBF has expressed worries about his time in prison. In August, he complained about the prison’s lack of food and medication supplies, which he claimed impeded his trial preparation. The judge dismissed his lawyers’ plea for temporary parole on weekdays to allow for more outstanding trial preparation.
In more recent news, it has been revealed that SBF intends to hire seven expert witnesses for his future trial, with a budget that allows them to be paid up to $1,200 per hour. These specialists could be vital in his defense if he confronts legal problems relating to his Bitcoin operations.
SBF’s legal challenges continue, and the Bitcoin world is watching his case intently.
