# Sam Bankman convicted 2023-11-02 (was living with parents, then jail). Is BTC and cryptocurrency busted too? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019 "2022-12-23T20:10:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/201 "2023-10-30T16:24:53Z")
I’d be surprised if they learned anything new this week but either way he is going to get roasted today and tomorrow. They originally thought that things would be wrapped up by the end of Thursday but the morning stated with the judge telling the jury that if they had plans on Friday that couldn’t be changed to write him a note. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/202 "2023-10-30T16:43:06Z")
From CNN > US Assistant Attorney Danielle Sassoon noted Monday that SBF publicly advocated for crypto regulation, citing a tweet in which he wrote his support for regulation was “contingent on protecting customers.” > “That was just for PR, wasn’t it?” Sassoon asked. > “No.” Bankman-Fried replied. > Sassoon then referenced an exchange SBF had with a reporter in which he said “f\*ck regulators” and that his advocacy was “just PR.” > Another private conversation showed SBF calling some customers “dumb m\*therf\*\*kers.” > SBF pushed back on the question, saying that comment referred only to a “specific subset” of customers. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/203 "2023-10-30T16:45:05Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I’d be surprised if they learned anything new this week One thing people often forget about cross examination: in US law (and particularly in federal rules), cross examination is mostly restricted to attacking the preceding direct examination or the witness’ credibility. So what SBF spoke about during direct is at least where the prosecution can jump off from. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/204 "2023-10-30T16:47:02Z")
Ouch! And the evisceration begins! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/205 "2023-10-30T16:52:00Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > > Another private conversation showed SBF calling some customers “dumb m\*therf\*\*kers.” > > > SBF pushed back on the question, saying that comment referred only to a “specific subset” of customers I gotta admit, i don’t know anyone who deals with customers who doesn’t have at least a few customers who are dumb motherfuckers. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/206 "2023-10-30T16:53:10Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > …cross examination is mostly restricted to attacking the preceding direct examination or the witness’ credibility. My understanding is that many judges deviate from that rule in practice for the sake of time, especially with criminal defendants. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/207 "2023-10-30T16:55:33Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I gotta admit, i don’t know anyone who deals with customers who doesn’t have at least a few customers who are dumb motherfuckers. Well sure but they should know not to express that in writing or maybe they’re the dumb motherfucker. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/208 "2023-10-30T16:58:57Z")
That’s what I was thinking about when I hedged my post with “mostly”. But I still suspect Sassoon will start out drawing blood by responding to the direct testimony. It will be interesting to see how it goes if the prosecutor goes beyond customary limits of cross-examination and the defense objects. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/209 "2023-10-30T17:07:43Z")
NAL but wouldn’t attacking the credibility allow a very wide range of questions? Can they also question SBF about testimony from other witnesses? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/210 "2023-10-30T19:46:05Z")
SBF has been evasive and not directly answering questions. A lot of his answers have been anticipating where he thinks the DA is going with the line of questioning. A clear sign that he is foolishly trying to outsmart her. The judge has gotten exasperated and asked him to just answer yes or no. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/211 "2023-10-30T20:07:48Z")
That’s standard witness prep: don’t try to guess what the cross-examining lawyer is asking about; just answer the question, truthfully. In this case, the jury has now seen the judge correct the witness for being evasive. They may consider that in assessing his credibility. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/212 "2023-10-31T00:16:50Z")
Another fantastic day’s summary from Elizabeth Lopatto > **[Sam Bankman-Fried doesn’t recall](https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/30/23939639/sam-bankman-fried-cross-exam-fraud)** > > Here comes a special boy. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/213 "2023-10-31T00:42:07Z")
Egads, another hard take-down. One of the pieces I like is that our reporter (and yes, it’s subjective, but still) is looking at both the jury and those in the know (including SBF’s parents) and they apparently see the writing on the wall as well. > As the day wore on, I saw the mood in the jury box darken. At least three jurors were visibly fed up with Bankman-Fried’s “don’t recall” followed by the exact statement he’d been asked about. The remarkable thing was not that Sassoon had used Bankman-Fried’s many public statements to make him sound like a liar. It was that by denying he remembered making them so consistently, Bankman-Fried made _himself_ sound like a liar. I’m ever more fully in the camp (see my parody above) that someone, ANYONE SBF trusts should have sat him down and talked him out of testifying, ESPECIALLY after the pre-jury interview. Wait, I take it back. I want to see this guy go away as a sign to other financial criminals, so, no, I want him to screw up his defense by the numbers. Sadly though, very few financial criminals screw up this badly, without a good fall out person to take the hit for them. And few leave evidence of their own, direct statements (even with the stuff lost to auto-deleting messages for financial “safety” [huge /s of course]) littered about as much the thread’s namesake. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/214 "2023-10-31T07:25:01Z")
She is delivering far and away the best coverage of this proceeding. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/215 "2023-10-31T15:01:13Z")
I would like to think that Elizabeth Lopatto would fit in here, except that she’d shred everyone here who crossed her. That series of articles are some of the finest reporting I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/216 "2023-10-31T15:46:28Z")
Cross examination is over. Redirect in process and will be done within the hour. The prosecution plans to call one more witness, an FBI agent and then closing arguments this afternoon ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/217 "2023-10-31T16:19:31Z")
Well damn. SBF is done testifying. The prosecution isn’t calling anyone else. No more evidence will be presented. The jury was sent home and will be back at 9:30 tomorrow. There will be procedural stuff this afternoon, a “charging conference”. Maybe one of our legal eagles can explain what that is. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/218 "2023-10-31T16:26:51Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > There will be procedural stuff this afternoon, a “charging conference”. Maybe one of our legal eagles can explain what that is. Lawyers and judge discussing the jury instructions to be given. The instructions are sometimes called the “charge” to the jury. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/219 "2023-10-31T16:39:10Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Lawyers and judge discussing the jury instructions to be given. The instructions are sometimes called the “charge” to the jury. So, it doesn’t involve large doses of caffeine? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019/220 "2023-10-31T16:51:59Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > So, it doesn’t involve large doses of caffeine ? I certainly could. I’m doing one tomorrow, as a matter of fact. There will be caffeine [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-bankman-convicted-2023-11-02-was-living-with-parents-then-jail-is-btc-and-cryptocurrency-busted-too/977019.md?page=12)