Home
News
- 1 In the ongoing trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the request for Adderall has been put forward to the New York District Court.
- 2 As SBF suffers from ADHD, it is difficult for him to pay attention in court, as per Bankman-Fried’s lawyers.
- 3 It was remarked on August 22nd’s hearing that SBF was not provided with Adderall for more than a week.
As the trial against Sam Bankman-Fried is going on, developments in the case are frequently in the making. Recently SBF’s lawyers asked the judge looking over the case in the U.S. court for long-release Adderall. It’s a drug used to cure attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The lawyers of Sam Bankman-Fried wrote in a letter on October 15 to Judge Lewis Kaplan of the New York District Court that it is hard for SBF to concentrate during the trial hearings. They asked in the letter if the FTX co-founder could be permitted an extended release of the 20mg dose of Adderall. The 12-hour-long release dose of the drug was asked to be taken before the trial on October 16.
In the letter, the lawyers argued that in the absence of the prescribed stimulant, SBF may not be able to focus during the trial hours. His concentration might be at a similar level as it would be generally.
SBF’s lawyer brought this issue in front of Judge Kaplan that the former crypto executive has a medical condition. He has been facing issues of Major Depressive Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) for quite long. Given this condition, his psychiatric care started in early 2019.
Bankman-Fried was allowed to access Adderall and antidepressant medication during his time in prison on August 14, 2023, when lawyers put the aforementioned situation forward.
Despite the court’s approval, the lawyers complained that SBF did not have complete access to the required medication. In a hearing on August 22, they cited that he had not been provided with Adderall for more than a week.
Difficult for Sam Bankman-Fried to Pay Attention in Trials
With Bankman-Fried’s defense case approaching and the decision on whether he will testify pending, his legal team has raised concerns that the FTX founder might face difficulties in actively participating in his defense presentation unless he has access to the required medication.
In their formal request, the legal team has asked the court to potentially suspend the trial for a day, specifically on Tuesday, October 17, should Bankman-Fried be unable to take the extended-release dose or if it proves ineffective.
The temporary halt would enable them to find a suitable solution for the remaining duration of the trial. Alternatively, they have also sought permission from Judge Kaplan to administer Bankman-Fried’s prescription of Adderall at the District Court during the trial.
The former FTX CEO has been diligently attempting to maintain his focus during the trial, even though his medication hasn’t been accessible during trial hours, according to the letter. Furthermore, his lawyers have emphasized that even if Bankman-Fried obtains the requested medication, there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of the extended-release dose.
Mr. Pratik chadhokar is an Indian Forex, Cryptocurrencies and Financial Market Advisor and analyst with a background in IT and Financial market Strategist. He specialises in market strategies and technical analysis and has spent over a year as a financial markets contributor and observer. He possesses strong technical analytical skills and is well known for his entertaining and informative analysis of the Financial markets.
