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Sam Bankman-Fried- Case Archive
Federal Criminal Trialtrial-daytrial-dayDanielle R. Sassoonrebuttal_closingjury_instructionscharge_conferenceverdictDay 19 - November 2, 2023The prosecution delivered its rebuttal, and the court instructed the jury and corrected portions of the charge. After deliberations, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all seven counts, which each juror confirmed when polled.
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Day 19 - November 2, 2023

Government Rebuttal, Jury Instructions, and Guilty Verdicts on All Counts

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan
10Proceedings
6Pages
0Witnesses
285Lines
Day 19 of 19
Appearing:
Danielle R. Sassoon

The prosecution delivered its rebuttal, and the court instructed the jury and corrected portions of the charge. After deliberations, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all seven counts, which each juror confirmed when polled.

Full day summary

The court denied the defense request to replace Juror No. 3 and addressed proposed indictment redactions and the day's schedule. In rebuttal, the prosecution argued that the defendant knowingly participated in schemes involving FTX customer assets, challenged his account of when he learned about Alameda's liability, defended the cooperating witnesses, and asked the jury to find him guilty. The court then instructed the jury on the seven charges, the presumption of innocence, proof beyond a reasonable doubt, intent, good faith, conscious avoidance, venue, evidence, credibility, and unanimous verdicts. After correcting portions of the charge, the court sent the jury to deliberate. The jury returned guilty verdicts on all seven counts, including both stated bases for the money-laundering conspiracy verdict. At the defense's request, all twelve jurors were polled and confirmed the verdicts before the court recorded them and discharged the jury.

1. Juror Substitution, Indictment Redaction, and Jury Schedule

Day 19 opened with the court denying the defense's request to replace Juror No. 3, deferring discussion of proposed indictment redactions, and outlining the schedule for rebuttal summation, the jury charge, and possible deliberations.

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Procedural
Juror Substitution, Indictment Redaction, and Jury Schedule
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The court denied the defense request to replace Juror No. 3, deferred an unopposed indictment-redaction issue until the break, and set the schedule for rebuttal, the charge, and deliberations.

Highlights

Juror Substitution, Indictment Redaction, and Jury SchedulerulingThe defense requested substitution of an alternate for Juror No. 3 because a break before further deliberations could affect the jury's consideration of the evidence; the government opposed the request as premature, and the court denied it.

2. Government Rebuttal Closing

On Day 19, prosecutor Danielle R. Sassoon concluded the government's rebuttal by arguing that the records and testimony showed Samuel Bankman-Fried knowingly participated in the misuse of FTX customer funds and asking the jury to find him guilty.

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Rebuttal
Government Rebuttal Closing Danielle R. Sassoon
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The prosecution's rebuttal challenged the defense's good-faith and credibility arguments, emphasized documentary and witness corroboration, and argued that conscious avoidance or later knowing participation independently supported guilt.

Procedural
Sealed Proceeding
1 lines

Highlights

Government Rebuttal Closingevidence eventSassoon relied on Government Exhibits 5, 36, and 50 to challenge the defense account of when the defendant learned about Alameda's line of credit and multibillion-dollar liability to FTX.Government Rebuttal Closing“It's time to deliberate without fear, favor, sympathy, or prejudice. You sat through this trial. You know what happened. Find him guilty.”— Danielle R. SassoonThe prosecution's final request to the jury at the close of rebuttal.

3. Final Jury Instructions

Final jury instructions on Day 19 covered the seven charged counts, standards for evaluating the case, unanimous verdicts, and deliberation procedures.

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Jury Instruction
Final Jury Instructions
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The court delivered the final charge on all seven counts, the government's burdens, evidence and credibility, the verdict form, and unanimous deliberations.

Highlights

Final Jury Instructionsjury eventThe court identified all seven charges, directed the jury to consider each count separately, and instructed that Samuel Bankman-Fried remained presumed innocent unless the government proved guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.Final Jury Instructions“The burden is on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. That burden never shifts to the defendant.”— Lewis A. KaplanStates the governing burden and confirms that the defendant bears no obligation to prove innocence.

4. Charge Corrections Sidebar

The court addressed jury-instruction corrections and the evening deliberation schedule during a Day 19 charge conference.

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Charge Conference
Charge Corrections Sidebar
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The court agreed to correct several final-charge errors, repeat the reasonable-doubt requirement, and preserve objections made at the earlier charge conference.

5. Jury Instruction Corrections

Day 19 continued with corrections and clarifications to the jury instructions, followed by the excusal of alternates subject to recall and the start of jury deliberations.

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Jury Instruction
Jury Instruction Corrections
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The court corrected the final charge on reasonable doubt, concealment money laundering, conscious avoidance, and securities-fraud wording before directing the jury to deliberate.

Procedural
Jury Deliberation Exhibit Procedures
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Highlights

Jury Instruction Correctionsjury eventThe court reminded the jury that the government had to prove every essential element beyond a reasonable doubt, reread the second element of concealment money laundering, and corrected the conscious-avoidance instruction to include the omitted limitation.Jury Instruction Corrections“However, if you find that the defendant actually believed that the fact was not true, then you may not find that he knew that fact.”— Lewis A. KaplanThis corrected the omitted limitation in the conscious-avoidance instruction and distinguished deliberate disregard from an actual contrary belief.Jury Instruction Correctionsjury eventAfter written copies of the charge were promised, the court directed the jury to begin deliberating on its verdict.

6. Verdict Proceedings

The Day 19 jury returned guilty verdicts on all seven counts, and each juror confirmed the verdict when polled.

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Procedural
Jury Communications and Exhibit Administration
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Verdict
Verdict Proceedings
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The jury found Samuel Bankman-Fried guilty on all seven counts, confirmed both submitted money-laundering theories, and unanimously affirmed the verdict when polled.

Procedural
Post-Verdict Scheduling
21 lines

Highlights

Verdict Proceedingsjury eventThe jury announced guilty verdicts on all seven counts, covering wire fraud and conspiracy charges involving FTX customers and Alameda lenders, securities and commodities fraud conspiracies, and money-laundering conspiracy.Verdict Proceedingsjury eventAt the defense's request, the clerk polled all twelve jurors, each of whom confirmed the verdict.
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