REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday restricted Sam Bankman-Fried's ability to call expert witnesses to testify at his criminal fraud trial, in a blow to the FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder.
But in a written order, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said three proposed witnesses cannot take the stand, because their testimony was irrelevant or could confuse the jury.
He also said Bankman-Fried may seek to call the remaining four experts, but only to rebut prosecution witnesses.
Among the witnesses Kaplan rejected was Peter Vinella, a consultant who intended to testify about "FTX's use of widely-accepted practices in the financial services industry."
It is common in U.S. criminal trials for prosecutors and defendants to call experts to help jurors understand complex issues.
Persons:
Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Peter Vinella, Lawrence Akka, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis
Organizations:
United, REUTERS, Alameda Research, District, Prosecutors, Alameda, Thomson
Locations:
New York City, U.S, Alameda, Bankman, New York