SBF lawyer sets out Supreme Court appeal timeline

Key points

• Jeffrey Fisher of Hecker Fink LLP is representing Bankman-Fried, who was convicted on seven felony fraud counts and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
• The government's response to the petition was extended from 15 Oct to 16 Nov, with a decision on review possible in late 2026 or early 2027.
• The petition argues the $11bn forfeiture order breached the Eighth Amendment's ban on excessive fines.

Sam Bankman-Fried's Supreme Court appeal could hinge on two arguments, his lawyer has told Cointelegraph, as the former FTX chief seeks review of his criminal case. Jeffrey Fisher of Hecker Fink LLP said the petition challenges how lower courts handled evidence that victims lost money and the $11bn forfeiture order, which he argues breached the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on excessive fines.

Bankman-Fried was convicted in 2023 on seven felony fraud counts over the misuse of customer funds at FTX, the exchange he founded, which filed for bankruptcy in November 2022.

Bankman-Fried is also seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump.

Fisher said the prosecution's theory makes it irrelevant whether customers lost money. Mark Bini, a partner at Reed Smith, told Cointelegraph that the chance of a new trial seems low, though the size of the forfeiture is notable. Cointelegraph also reported that former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison has taken a full-time role at the charitable fundraising organisation Manifund.

What to watch: The US government's response to the petition is due by 16 Nov, after which the justices may decide whether to hear the case.

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