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12 people will decide the fate of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried

45 prospective jurors were narrowed down to 12 after they were asked to discuss their background, employment, education, partners, children and their age.

A pregnant physician’s assistant, a train conductor, and a retired investment banker are reportedly among 12 individuals who will eventually decide on the fate of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.

As per a report from Cointelegraph's on-the-ground reporter Ana Paula Pereira, the 12 jurors were narrowed down from a list of 45 on Oct. 4,  the second day of trial in Manhattan.

The potential jurors were each given a minute to introduce themselves by sharing their background, age, employment, education, relationship history, and children.

Cointelegraph reporter Pereira noted that one prospective juror said his wife worked for a law firm that provided services to FTX in the past — though it isn’t clear whether he was selected.

One prospective juror was reportedly excused after revealing she worked for a firm that invested in FTX and Alameda Research, according to Matthew Russell Lee from Inner City Press.

District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan then discussed jury selection with the prosecutors and Bankman-Fried’s defense lawyers before revealing the final 12 jury members about 15 minutes later.

Scenes from outside New York’s Supreme Court — a short walk away from where Bankman-Fried’s fraud trial is being held. Source: Cointelegraph

As per Oct. 4 reports from Bloomberg and TechCrunch, the final list or jurors shows the panel will be female-dominated, comprising nine women and three men.

Their ages range from the early 30s to the late 60s, and their professions span various industries, including health, financial, legal, IT, and education. Five of them are university-educated. The full list of jurors is below: 

  • A man, aged in his late 60’s, was an investment banker at a firm called Salomon Brothers. He completed his Master of Business Administration at Stanford University.
  • A man, aged 59, didn’t say what he does for work but says his company is currently being sued. It is understood the man has served as a jury member in the past.
  • A man, aged 61, works at the United States Postal Service. He has no wife or children and has served as a jury member in the past.
  • A woman, aged 39, currently works as a physician assistant and was once a medical missionary in the Dominican Republic. She’s 10 weeks pregnant, and married to a web developer.
  • A middle-aged woman, who once studied at Duke University and has experience working with non-profits and managing fundraisers.
  • A woman, aged 50, works as a train conductor. She’s a mother of five children. Two of the five children have reportedly been convicted of crimes.
  • A woman, aged 65, is a retired corrections officer.
  • A woman, aged 33, works as a nurse in Westchester, New York and reportedly studied at the State University of New York, Binghamton.
  • A woman, aged 40, is currently unemployed as a social worker and previously studied at Princeton University and Columbia University.
  • A woman, who works at a school in the Bronx, New York. She previously studied at the University of Buffalo and Syracuse University.
  • A woman, who works in advertising. She has an 18-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son.
  • A woman, aged 55, working as a special education teacher in Rockland, New York.

Related: Sam Bankman-Fried FTX trial — 5 things you need to know

After the jury members were selected, a 15-minute opening statement was delivered by the prosecutors and defense. Testimonies from Marc Julliard — a Coca broker who lost about $80,000 to FTX — and Adam Yedidia — Bankman-Fried’s former close friend — were then heard before Judge Kaplan called it a day.

Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial is expected to take place over six weeks. He is facing seven fraud-related charges for his role as CEO in FTX’s shock collapse in November.

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SBF’s lawyers want to quiz jurors on crypto, altruism and ADHD

U.S. prosecutors, meanwhile, want to ask prospective jurors their beliefs on how cryptocurrency should be regulated.

Potential jurors in the upcoming criminal trial of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried could be asked their thoughts on crypto, effective altruism and attention-deficit disorder as his lawyers want to weed out those they consider unsuitable.

In court filings on Sep.11, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers and United States prosecutors separately filed their lists of proposed questions they wish to ask prospective jurors in the trial slated for Oct. 3.

Bankman-Fried wants to know if prospective jurors have invested in cryptocurrency, and if so, if they lost money or otherwise have a negative opinion on the industry.

In another question, the FTX co-founder is interested to know whether a juror would attribute a crypto firm’s failure to its owners, and if so, why.

Cryptocurrency-related questions proposed by Bankman-Fried’s lawyers to prospective jurors. Source: CourtListener

Bankman-Fried also wants prospective jurors' thoughts on “effective altruism” — a charitable philosophical movement which Bankman-Fried built his reputation on.

Other questions concern if jurors think it’s “wrong” to donate large sums of money to political candidates and lobbyists to further their own interests along with detailing any personal or professional experience with an ADHD-medicated person.

As part of standard procedure, Bankman-Fried intends to ask if prospective jurors have read about him, have formed an opinion on his guilt or innocence or if they’ve expressed an opinion about Bankman-Fried, FTX or Alameda Research.

U.S. prosecutors wish to ask prospective jurors on their familiarity with FTX and its affiliates, whether they or a friend or family member have invested or worked in the crypto space and what role they believe the U.S. government should play in regulating the industry.

Related: Sam Bankman-Fried is low on meds, living on $3 peanut butter in prison

Prosecutors also want to ask whether jurors have ever lost money from an investment due to fraudulent conduct.

On Sept. 12, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan denied Bankman-Fried’s request for temporary release ahead of his Oct. 3 trial, ruling that a poor internet connection inside the prison wasn’t a sufficient ground to grant his release.

Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to all seven fraud-related charges regarding his involvement in FTX’s collapse in November. He faces a separate criminal trial on additional charges in March next year.

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