A New York judge has cleared the way for Donald Trump to testify at his own defamation trial, rejecting his request to postpone the trial for a week to attend a funeral. Concerns were raised about Trump potentially "sowing chaos" at the trial, but the judge declined to adopt strict measures proposed by Carroll's lawyers. The trial, which begins Tuesday, will determine how much Trump owes Carroll in damages for defaming her in 2019.
The judge overseeing the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, former crypto chief, expressed frustration with his defense team for asking imprecise and repetitive questions during cross-examination. The defense is attempting to undermine the credibility of government witnesses and inject favorable facts into the court record. However, prosecutors have been successful in blocking many of these questions. The judge's dissatisfaction raises concerns about how the jury will perceive the defense's strategy. Meanwhile, the trial continues with witnesses testifying about FTX's accounting software bug and the loss of customer funds.
A federal judge has approved a defense request allowing FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to use an "air-gapped" laptop, without internet access, to take notes during his upcoming trial. The laptop will be brought to court by a paralegal and taken back at the end of each day. The judge also approved Bankman-Fried's request to wear a suit in court, with the U.S. Marshals Service or the Metropolitan Detention Center responsible for maintaining his clothing. The defense team has made another attempt to have Bankman-Fried temporarily released, offering strict conditions, and a hearing has been scheduled to discuss the motion.
The judge overseeing the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX, has expressed frustration with his defense team's requests for postponement and concerns over evidence production. The judge rejected their request to exclude recent evidence, stating that Bankman-Fried had ample access to review it prior to his detention. The defense team has until the end of the week to file any postponement request, but the judge emphasized that it would need to demonstrate a legitimate need for more time. The conditions of Bankman-Fried's detention, including access to lawyers and the internet, are still being worked out.
Sam Bankman-Fried's defense team argued in a hearing that his limited internet access and inadequate laptop tech specs in jail were hindering his ability to prepare for his upcoming trial. They requested his release from jail, but the federal judge overseeing the case declined to grant their request. The judge gave both parties until next Tuesday to brief him on the conditions in the jail facility before deciding on temporary release. The defense also requested to preclude all documents produced after July 1 due to the late disclosure by the government, but the judge denied the request. The defense can ask for a trial postponement if they need more time to review the documents. The hearing also involved discussions about Bankman-Fried's laptop battery life and internet access in jail, with the defense arguing that the proposed solutions were not practical. Bankman-Fried has been in jail since August on charges of attempted witness tampering.
The federal judge overseeing FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial has rejected his motions to dismiss the criminal charges against him, stating that he did not have standing to dismiss many of the charges and did not meet the "extraordinary" circumstances required for dismissal. Bankman-Fried faces charges including wire fraud, bank fraud, operating an unlicensed money transmitter, bribery, and campaign finance violations. The judge's memorandum explains his reasoning for denying the motions, addressing questions of venue and the validity of property right claims. The trial is set for March 2024 for five charges and October 2023 for the remaining eight charges.
Lawyers for E. Jean Carroll are expected to rest their case on Thursday after presenting final witnesses on her behalf in the trial accusing former President Donald J. Trump of rape. Trump, who is traveling in Ireland, again attacked Ms. Carroll and the judge presiding over the trial. Mr. Trump's statement could draw the ire of the judge, who last week sharply criticized Mr. Trump's use of his Truth Social website to call Ms. Carroll's case a "fraudulent & false story" and a "made up SCAM."
A federal judge has denied former President Donald Trump's request for a four-week delay in the civil rape and defamation trial against him, which is scheduled to start on April 25. Trump's lawyer argued that his client should be allowed a "cooling off" period after his recent indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, but the judge rejected the request, stating that there is no justification for an adjournment. The lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll alleges that Trump raped her at a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s, which Trump has repeatedly denied.
A federal judge has ordered parties in the E. Jean Carroll rape case to notify him by April 20 whether they will be present throughout the trial, scheduled to start April 25 in Manhattan federal court. The judge also rejected a request that names of anonymous jurors be released to lawyers, saying Trump’s latest public statements about a criminal case against him in state court show jurors might be harassed if their identities got out. Trump's lawyers did not respond to requests for comment on Kaplan’s order.
