It’s not that anyone is describing his youth in an effort to render him blameless. They are reinforcing this image of him as aloof and practically just out of c

It’s not that anyone is describing his youth in an effort to render him blameless. They are reinforcing this image of him as aloof and practically just out of college in a way that softens public opinion and could lead to lighter sentencing and post-trial public treatment. Even describing him as “mid-20s” when he was 27 when he started FTX is a deliberate and slightly misleading word choice that reporters use to buttress the version of the story they think will drive clicks. I don’t think reporters are trying to let him off but I think they’re taking the bait on the version of the story his team thinks lands the softest with the general public. On top of that, the author’s contrast of his treatment to how actually young people of color are treated by the police, legal system and media is totally valid.