On November 5th, FTX founder SBF's lawyers told a New York appeals court that his fraud trial was inherently unfair and sought to overturn his fraud conviction on that basis.

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FTX founder SBF's lawyer stated in the New York Appellate Court that the fraud trial against him was fundamentally unfair, and on this basis, he attempted to overturn his fraud conviction.

[BlockBeats]

SBF's Lawyer Calls Fraud Trial "Unfair," Seeks Conviction Overturned

SBF's lawyers call fraud trial "unfair," seek to overturn conviction

FTX co-founder SBF will file an appeal with the appellate court this Tuesday, seeking to overturn his fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence. His lawyers claim that SBF was "presumed guilty" under the combined bias of public opinion, prosecutors, the FTX takeover team, and Judge Kaplan, arguing that there were procedural injustices in the original trial.

SBF was charged with misappropriating customer funds after the 2022 FTX collapse and was convicted in 2023.

[Bloomberg]

SBF Appeals to Overturn 25-Year Sentence, Claims FTX Case Was "Prejudiced Guilty"

On November 4 (UTC+8), FTX founder SBF (Sam Bankman-Fried)'s defense lawyers plan to file a request for a retrial with the appeals court, claiming that media coverage, the prosecution, and US District Judge Lewis Kaplan's hasty verdict led to his wrongful conviction. The defense requests that the judge be replaced and the trial be restarted.

The legal team stated that SBF had no subjective intention to defraud customers, that he always believed that user funds could be fully repaid, and accused Judge Kaplan of preventing him from explaining the key argument that "FTX has sufficient assets to repay users" to the jury during the trial.

It is reported that in addition to the appeal, SBF's parents also sought a pardon from President Trump.

[ChainCatcher]

SBF's defense lawyer claims that the media and the court rushed to judgment, leading to his wrongful conviction.

On November 4th, according to Bloomberg, SBF's lawyer will appeal to the appellate court, stating that the media, prosecutor, and U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rushed to a judgement, leading to his wrongful conviction. SBF's lawyer requested a new judge for a retrial.

The defense team argued that SBF had no intention to defraud customers, always believing that user funds would be fully reimbursed, and that Judge Kaplan erroneously prevented him from explaining to the jury the key fact that "FTX has sufficient assets to repay the exchange users."

A source familiar with the matter who revealed earlier this year stated that, apart from the appeal, SBF's parents have been seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump.

[BlockBeats]

SBF's Defense Lawyer: Media, Prosecutor, and Judge's Hasty Judgment Led to SBF's Wrongful Conviction

On November 4, Bloomberg reported that SBF's lawyers will tell the appeals court that the media, prosecutors, and U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rushed to judgment, leading to his wrongful conviction. SBF's lawyers are requesting a retrial with a different judge. The defense team argues that SBF had no intention of defrauding customers, that he always believed user funds would be fully repaid, and that Judge Kaplan wrongly prevented him from telling the jury the crucial fact that "FTX had enough assets to repay exchange users."

According to a person familiar with the matter earlier this year, in addition to appealing, SBF's parents have been seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump.

[BlockBeats]

SBF's defense lawyer: Media, prosecutors, and judges rushed to judgment, leading to SBF's wrongful conviction

November 4th, according to Bloomberg, SBF's lawyers will tell the appeals court that the media, prosecutors, and U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rushed to judgment, leading to his wrongful conviction. SBF's lawyers are requesting a retrial with a different judge.

The defense team argues that SBF had no intention of defrauding customers, that he always believed user funds would be fully repaid, and that Judge Kaplan wrongly prevented him from telling the jury the crucial fact that "FTX had sufficient assets to repay exchange users."

According to a person familiar with the matter earlier this year, in addition to appealing, SBF's parents have been seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump.

[BlockBeats]

FTX founder SBF (Sam Bankman-Fried)'s defense lawyers plan to file a retrial request with the appeals court, claiming that media coverage, the prosecution, and US District Judge Lewis Kaplan's hasty verdict led to his wrongful conviction. The defense is demanding a change of judge and a restart of the trial.

The legal team stated that SBF had no subjective intention to defraud customers, that he always believed user funds could be fully repaid, and accused Judge Kaplan of preventing him from explaining the key argument that "FTX had enough assets to repay users" to the jury during the trial. It is reported that, in addition to the appeal, SBF's parents also sought a pardon from President Trump.

[Bloomberg]

Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) lawyers are set to argue before a U.S. appeals court that the FTX founder was denied a fair trial. Sam Bankman-Fried’s legal team will reportedly appear before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Nov. 4, seeking to argue that his conviction should be overturned.

The defense claims the trial judge improperly blocked evidence showing FTX had enough assets to meet customer withdrawals, a key argument they say could have influenced the jury’s decision. Since being found guilty on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in November 2023, the now 33-year-old has continued to deny any wrongdoing, claiming that FTX’s collapse was the result of mismanagement and market panic rather than deliberate fraud.

Following his sentencing, the disgraced CEO’s legal team doubled that he was “never presumed innocent,” insisting that his trial was unfair and based on a false narrative of permanently lost customer funds. The appeal now comes as the former FTX chief continues his efforts to reframe his role in the exchange’s collapse.

Just days ago, Bankman-Fried’s official X account posted a 15-page document titled “FTX: Where Did The Money Go?,” reigniting his claim that FTX was never insolvent. The report argued the exchange held sufficient assets at the time of its 2022 bankruptcy filing, including billions in crypto and stakes in firms such as Anthropic, Robinhood, and SpaceX.

The document also repeated claims that FTX’s Chapter 11 process was manipulated by external legal counsel and that valuable recovery efforts were sidelined. SBF accused Sullivan & Cromwell and current CEO John Ray III of seizing control of the exchange against his will and prioritizing legal fees over customer outcomes. His defense appears to be leaning on these arguments to support his appeal and seek a possible overturn of his conviction.

Still, the scale of the FTX collapse as one of the largest in crypto history weighs heavily against him. At the same time, damaging testimonies from former executives, including Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, have also reinforced the prosecution’s case, making a reversal unlikely.

Meanwhile, the former CEO is also reported to be eyeing a potential pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump, following the pardons of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht in January and, more recently, Binance’s Changpeng Zhao, suggesting that he is exploring various pathways to freedom.

For now, SBF continues to serve his 25-year prison sentence. Whether his appeal and ongoing efforts can shorten his projected 2044 release remains to be seen.

[Reuters]

HOOD

Sam Bankman-Fried seeks new trial over FTX fraud case

On November 4th (UTC+8), FTX co-founder SBF (Sam Bankman-Fried)'s lawyers stated on Tuesday that they are seeking to overturn his fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence by appealing to the court. They claimed that after the cryptocurrency exchange collapsed in 2022, news media, prosecutors, and others wanted to bring him down, and Judge Lewis Kaplan rushed to convict him, causing him to be冤. They stated that SBF was "presumed guilty even before being indicted."

In the appeal briefing, the lawyers focused on 80-year-old Judge Kaplan, accusing him of "repeatedly favoring the government and obstructing the defense," and demanded a retrial with a different judge. SBF's team argued that the judge pressured the jurors by implying that they could work overtime, providing free dinners, and offering transportation home. He also constantly mocked SBF and questioned his testimony. SBF, who is currently serving his sentence in California, is not expected to attend the hearing.

In addition, according to a person familiar with the matter earlier this year, SBF's parents have been exploring ways to obtain a pardon from U.S. President Trump. On Tuesday, lawyer Shapiro also expected to argue that the judge wrongly prevented SBF from informing the jury that FTX was solvent, but allowed the prosecution to accuse him of stealing funds leading to bankruptcy. SBF's team emphasized that he had no intention of deceiving customers, and that the judge should have allowed him to testify that he had always acted on the advice of FTX lawyers.

[PANews]

SBF's legal team will argue in the appeal trial that SBF was "presumed guilty" after the FTX collapse.

On November 4th, according to Bloomberg, FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried filed for appeal on Tuesday to overturn his fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence. His lawyers argued that after the cryptocurrency exchange crash in 2022, the media, prosecutors, and others sought to bring him down, and that Judge Lewis Kaplan's hasty conviction led to his wrongful conviction, stating that SBF was "presumptively guilty even before being indicted."

In the appeal brief, the lawyers focused on 80-year-old Judge Kaplan, accusing him of "repeatedly favoring the government and obstructing the defense," and demanding a retrial and a different judge. SBF's team argued that the judge pressured juries by suggesting they work overtime, providing free dinners and home transportation, and by constantly mocking SBF and questioning his testimony. SBF, currently serving a sentence in California, is not expected to attend the hearing.

Furthermore, according to a source familiar with the matter earlier this year, SBF's parents had been exploring ways to obtain a pardon from US President Trump. On Tuesday, lawyer Shapiro also anticipated arguing that the judge wrongly prevented SBF from informing the jury of FTX's solvency, while allowing the prosecution to charge him with embezzlement leading to bankruptcy.

SBF's team emphasized that he had no intention of deceiving his client and that the judge should have allowed him to testify that he had consistently acted on the advice of FTX's lawyers.

[PANews]

SBF's legal team will argue in the appeal trial that SBF was "presumpted guilty" after the FTX collapse.

On November 4th (UTC+8), former FTX CEO SBF (Sam Bankman-Fried), who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for misappropriating over $8.00B in customer funds, will return to the U.S. Court of Appeals today to seek a retrial.

The defense claims he did not receive a fair trial and that the judge was biased; the prosecution argues that he "orchestrated one of the biggest fraud cases in history" and denies that the trial was unfair.

[dlnew]

SBF Sues Court Again, Seeking New Trial Over FTX Collapse

Sam Bankman-Fried’s bid to reverse his fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence ran into a trio of appeals court judges who appeared skeptical of arguments that he didn’t get a fair trial.

Bankman-Fried’s legal team argued that the trial judge wrongly stopped them from telling jurors that there was plenty of money to repay investors despite the collapse of his crypto currency exchange in 2022 or that he relied on the advice of lawyers.

Decisions by US District Judge Lewis Kaplan sharply limited their ability to counter prosecution arguments on those topics, his lawyers said.

SBF Faces Skeptical Judges at Appeal of FTX Fraud Verdict


Arguments made by former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyer in a bid to get a new trial may not have been all that convincing, said former federal prosecutor Samson Enzer.

On Tuesday, in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Bankman-Fried's lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, argued that customers would have been repaid if there had been enough time — a claim that received pushback from the judges, according to reporting from Inner City Press inside the courtroom.

"While SBF’s counsel made a valiant effort, several of the questions and remarks from the panel during the argument revealed deep skepticism of SBF’s appeal, including, for example, when Circuit Judge Barrington Parker Jr. remarked to SBF’s counsel that 'it almost seems like you’re spending more ink on Judge Kaplan than on the merits,'" Enzer, who is now a partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, told The Block after the hearing.

Bankman-Fried filed an appeal requesting a new trial in September 2024. At the time, a lawyer representing the former executive criticized New York Judge Lewis Kaplan's handling of the case and said Bankman-Fried should not have been blocked from introducing certain evidence.

Enzer previously told The Block that Bankman-Fried's claim that he had acted in good faith on the advice of his lawyers prior to the collapse of FTX was his "most interesting and significant" argument. Kaplan largely limited evidence related to this so-called "presence of counsel" defense.

The former exchange executive was found guilty in November 2023 by a jury in New York of all seven criminal counts of defrauding the customers, lenders, and investors of FTX. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

During the hearing, prosecutors said that customers' "money was not being held safely" on FTX and that $8 billion had gone to Alameda Research for investments and political donations, according to reporting from ICP. Hedge fund Alameda Research was instrumental to FTX, both of which were founded by Bankman-Fried.

Prosecutors previously accused Bankman-Fried of disguising political contributions via “wealthy co-conspirators,” when the funds allegedly belonged to FTX customers and had been transferred to Alameda. A separate trial accusing Bankman-Fried of a single count of conspiracy to make unlawful campaign contributions was dropped; however, evidence related to his political spending was presented as part of the broader fraud and conspiracy case during his main trial.

The court will issue an opinion on the possibility of Bankman-Fried's retrial over the next several months.

[Inner City Press]

Appeals court judges question Sam Bankman-Fried's claims over FTX solvency

A federal appeals court on Tuesday appeared skeptical toward Sam Bankman-Fried's arguments that his fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence over the collapse of his FTX cryptocurrency exchange should be tossed because his trial was unfair. A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan questioned whether the exclusion of evidence from Bankman-Fried's trial tainted the jury's decision in November to convict him on all seven counts he faced. "If you're not challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, are you conceding the evidence was sufficient" to convict, Circuit Judge Maria Araujo Kahn asked Alexandra Shapiro, a lawyer for Bankman-Fried. Shapiro responded that even if the evidence was sufficient, that did not mean the trial judge's errors were harmless. Prosecutor Nathan Rehn told the judges that the evidence overwhelmingly proved Bankman-Fried stole FTX customer funds. "There were four people who know about the misappropriated funds. Three of them testified that they conspired with Sam Bankman-Fried," Rehn said, referring to cooperating witnesses. Bankman-Fried, 33, had been one of the cryptocurrency's most influential figures and a multibillionaire before FTX's spectacular collapse in 2022, in what prosecutors called a "fraud of epic proportions. " A federal jury in Manhattan found Bankman-Fried guilty of seven criminal charges in 2023 for stealing $8 billion from FTX customers. At his trial, Bankman-Fried admitted to making mistakes running FTX, but testified that he never stole funds. His lawyers told the appeals court the verdict was unfair because the trial judge did not allow evidence backing up Bankman-Fried's belief that FTX had enough funds to cover customer withdrawals. Prosecutors have said the evidence at trial, including testimony from the three cooperating witnesses and troves of FTX documents, overwhelmingly proved Bankman-Fried’s guilt. Members of Bankman-Fried’s inner circle have lobbied U.S. President Donald Trump for a pardon, according to media reports, but Trump has not said whether he is considering one. Reuters has not independently confirmed the reports. Bankman-Fried was a rising star in the rough-and-tumble crypto industry who burnished his reputation with lavish philanthropic and political donations. During a month-long trial, Bankman-Fried's former lieutenants said he directed them to raid FTX customer funds to plug losses at Alameda Research, his crypto-focused hedge fund.He was found guilty of two counts of fraud and five counts of conspiracy. During the March 2024 sentencing, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said Bankman-Fried knew his actions were wrong but "made a very bad bet about the likelihood of getting caught. " Bankman-Fried is serving his sentence at a low-security prison near Los Angeles. He is eligible for release in October 2044. [Reuters]

Appeals court skeptical of Sam Bankman-Fried's bid to toss crypto fraud conviction


Jailed former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is back in court as he looks to get a redo after being found guilty two years ago on multiple fraud charges.

Bankman-Fried filed an appeal in September 2024 and asked for a new trial. At the time, a lawyer representing the former executive criticized New York Judge Lewis Kaplan's handling of the case and said Bankman-Fried should not have been blocked from introducing certain evidence.

Bankman-Fried was found guilty in November 2023 by a jury in New York of all seven criminal counts of defrauding the customers, lenders, and investors of FTX. Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried orchestrated "likely the largest fraud in the last decade," making comparisons to Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff. Hedge fund Alameda Research was instrumental to FTX, both of which were founded by Bankman-Fried. He was later sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Samson Enzer, a partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP and former federal prosecutor, said Bankman-Fried's defense faces a "steep uphill battle," but said listening to the arguments and tone of the questioning from the circuit judges will be telling.

"Of the arguments raised by SBF, the most interesting and significant to me is whether the trial court erred in limiting the evidence in support of his alleged 'presence of counsel' defense that SBF was permitted to tell the jury about, and whether any such error was harmless or would warrant a re-trial," Enzer said in an email to The Block. Bankman-Fried's lawyers had previously argued that the former CEO acted in good faith in relying on his attorneys at the exchange.

Howard Fischer, partner at Moses & Singer LLP, said appellate courts usually give district court judges considerable flexibility in how they conduct trials. Fischer was also previously senior trial counsel at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"Unless there are multiple errors which, taken together, deprive the defendant of a fair trial, they will strain to uphold the behavior of the trial judge," Fischer said in an emailed statement. "It is not likely that the Circuit Court will reverse based on the trial judge’s conduct or comments."

If questions are sparse during the hearing and the judges only ask pro forma questions, the original decision will likely be upheld, Fischer said.

"The attitude of the panel will also be an indication (although not determinative): do they treat the issues raised by Bankman-Fried seriously, or do they indicate by their tone that they do not?" Fischer said.

As for next steps, Fischer said the court will issue an opinion over the course of the next several months. If there is no appeal, Bankman-Fried's parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, will push harder for a pardon, Fischer said.

His parents are looking to get their son a pardon from President Donald Trump following other attempts to pardon high-profile crypto figures —the latest being former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. However, Bankman-Fried's pardon chances seem slim. He was one of the largest donors to the Biden campaign in 2020, donating $5.2 million to defeat Trump at the time.

Ahead of his hearing, Bankman-Fried was active on X. On Sept. 30, he wrote in a 15-page document he said that Alameda Research and FTX were "never insolvent" and that customer funds could have been repaid in full shortly after their 2022 liquidity crisis.

[The Block]

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman Fried returns to court seeking new trial after FTX fraud conviction

The appeal could impact legal precedents in financial fraud cases and influence future regulatory measures in the cryptocurrency sector.

The post Bankman-Fried lawyers to argue before court today, seeking retrial over FTX fraud conviction appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

[Crypto Briefing]

Bankman-Fried lawyers to argue before court today, seeking retrial over FTX fraud conviction


<p><img src="https://static.sosovalue.com/sosovalue/2025/11/04/30fb839f-4ff4-448a-a4de-d0ab5fdf0d40.jpg"></p>

<p>The former FTX CEO is currently serving a 25-year sentence in federal prison, but has the opportunity to get a new trial.</p>

What’s at stake for Sam Bankman-Fried’s long-awaited appeal?


11 月 5 日，FTX 创始人 SBF 的律师在纽约上诉法院表示，对其欺诈审判本质上是不公平的，并以此为由试图推翻其欺诈定罪。

[BlockBeats]

SBF律师称欺诈审判「不公平」，寻求推翻定罪


11 月 5 日，FTX 創始人 SBF 的律師在紐約上訴法院表示，對其欺詐審判本質上是不公平的，並以此為由試圖推翻其欺詐定罪。

[BlockBeats]