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No, the problem was the overwhelmingly abundant recorded evidence that also supported the credibility of the many witnesses even though they had plea agreements
by olliej 3y ago
No, the problem was the overwhelmingly abundant recorded evidence that also supported the credibility of the many witnesses even though they had plea agreements. In no part of his life has there ever been anything other the copious amounts of money. He could get on bail of 250M, and still broke conditions. This is before you consider where all of the money he stole went.
His defense was always fighting a losing battle here, and likely would have recommended he also try to get a plea deal rather than forcing a trial with this probable outcome.
- JohnFen 3y agoHe was never offered a plea deal, and I doubt that him asking for one would have been successful. I'm about 90% sure that his lawyers asked.
- olliej 3y agoAh, it seemed from everything he said and did that he's the kind of person who actually believed that he couldn't possibly go to jail.
- JohnFen 3y agoI think that's the case, yes, but I also think that his attorneys would have brought the matter up with the prosecution without his knowledge. No point in bringing it up to him unless there's a real offer he might be persuaded to agree to.
- StressedDev 3y agoI am sure he could have negotiated a plea deal with the US Government. Well over 90% of cases in the United States never go to trial. I think the reason Sam Bankman-Fried went to trial is he actually thought he could get off.
- dragonwriter 3y agoIts around 98% that plea out in the federal system, but most federal criminal cases aren't notorious, high-profile, mass impacts fraudsters that the feds have dead to rights because the defendant not only decided to publicly recount many of their offenses as a coping mechanism as their scheme fell apart, but also have a bevy of top co-conspirators already pled out and ready to testify against them. The Feds had no sufficient incentive to agree to a lesser set of charges, and SBF had no incentive to plea guilty to the exact same set of charges he could instead demand that the government prove beyond a reasonable doubt, which at a minimum would delay the process.
- LegionMammal978 3y agoThe defense team actively declined plea discussions, assuming the quote at [0] is accurate. Several news sites seem to believe in its accuracy, at least. [0] https://nitter.net/innercitypress/status/1709208392516923435#m https://nitter.net/innercitypress/status/1709208392516923435...