Coinbase Legal Chief Previews Key Aspects of Commencing SBF Trial

In a recent tweet, Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, offered insights into the upcoming trial against Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), founder of the bankrupt FTX exchange. SBF’s trial commences within the next 24 hours, with U.S. Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan presiding over the case.

Drawing from his extensive experience of selecting juries in federal civil trials, Grewal shed light on what can be expected in this criminal trial.

Federal judges take jury selection quite seriously. I’m sure that tomorrow am, Judge Kaplan will be no exception as he begins trial in the case against SBF. As someone who picked 35ish juries in federal court, I have a few thoughts on what to expect. 🧵⬇️

— paulgrewal.eth (@iampaulgrewal) October 3, 2023

Grewal pointed out that federal judges, much like Judge Kaplan, take jury selection seriously. He expressed confidence that Judge Kaplan would approach the jury’s task with the gravity it deserves.

Moreover, the Coinbase CLO noted that the days of prolonged voir dire processes appear to fade as judges seek to avoid wasting prospective jurors’ time, indicating that proceedings are likely to move swiftly.

Furthermore, Grewal underscored federal judges’ more active role in the questioning process compared to many state courts in the United States. He argued that federal judges are acutely aware that lawyers seek to assemble a jury that will favor their case rather than simply aiming for impartiality.

Besides, Grewal expressed admiration for the willingness of most individuals called for jury duty to fulfill their civic obligations as citizens. He shared an anecdote about mechanics and housekeepers going to great lengths to reach the courthouse, underlining their commitment to civic duty.

Ultimately, Grewal stressed the critical importance of jury composition for a fair outcome. He argued that, given the choice, prosecutors would always prefer damning evidence over a favorable jury makeup. Grewal hinted at the abundance of such evidence in the SBF case.

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