FTX case shifts as Rule 33 bid lands amid 2nd Cir. appeal

FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried has moved to reopen his criminal case, filing a Rule 33 motion for a new trial while his direct appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit remains pending and renewed pardon chatter circulates. According to Coingape, the filing arrives alongside speculation about a potential Donald Trump pardon as the appellate process continues.

Why SBF filed a Rule 33 motion for a new trial

As reported by the Financial Times, the defense argues the original trial was “fundamentally unfair,” pointing to limits on presenting evidence about advice from attorneys, the potential value of certain investments that might have aided creditor recovery in bankruptcy, and alleged prejudicial remarks by the trial judge. The thrust of the motion is that these evidentiary restrictions and courtroom dynamics prevented jurors from hearing a complete defense narrative.

As reported by The Block, former federal prosecutor Samson Enzer characterized the bid as a steep uphill battle but flagged the defense’s attorney-involvement arguments as one of the few areas that could carry weight on review. In the same analysis, Howard Fischer, a former SEC senior trial counsel, emphasized appellate courts’ broad leeway for trial management, underscoring how hard it is to overturn a conviction based on courtroom conduct or evidentiary limits absent clear prejudice.

Second Circuit appeal status and how it affects retrial chances

AP News reported that a Second Circuit panel, Judges Barrington D. Parker, Eunice C. Lee, and Maria Araujo Kahn, pressed defense counsel on what, exactly, was excluded and whether any omission likely altered the verdict. Reflecting that skepticism, Judge Parker asked, “Are you seriously suggesting … that the not-guilties would have rolled in on this record?” The exchange highlights a core appellate hurdle: relief typically requires not just error but a showing that it mattered to the outcome.

Bloomberg Law noted that the panel’s questioning centered on prejudice, whether any alleged trial errors likely influenced jurors, an exacting standard that commonly limits reversals in complex fraud cases. Taken together, the hearing tone suggests the appeal, rather than independently boosting retrial odds, may constrain them unless the court sees specific, material evidentiary exclusions or conduct that undermined the trial’s fairness.

Trump pardon talk: process, odds, and implications for SBF

Bloomberg reported that SBF’s parents, Stanford law professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, have explored a clemency path by engaging with lawyers and figures in Trump’s orbit, while Fortune noted crypto industry lobbyists view the odds as very low despite Trump’s more crypto-friendly posture and historically liberal use of pardons. The reports indicate limited institutional support in the broader crypto community and significant political downside risk given the scale of losses tied to FTX’s collapse.

At the time of this writing, and for contextual background only, Coinbase Global (COIN) last traded around 226.50 based on NasdaqGS real-time price data, reflecting a modest pre-market decline. Market levels do not bear on the legal standards at issue, but they frame the broader crypto and exchange backdrop as SBF’s Rule 33 motion, appeal, and clemency speculation unfold.