Sam Bankman-Fried can wear a suit to court, take notes on laptop

Sam Bankman-Fried has been awaiting his criminal trial that starts next week from a New York jail, but he'll be able to ditch the prisoner jumpsuit in the courtroom after a judge approved a request that will allow him to change into a suit each morning.

The United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Prisons Metropolitan Detention Center were ordered to "make appropriate arrangements for the defendant to wear business attire clothing while he is in Courtroom 26A for the duration of his criminal trial. Specifically, they'll be able to "accept and maintain" items of clothing to be provided by Bankman-Fried's lawyers that include three suits, four dress shirts, three ties, one belt, four pairs of socks, two pairs of shoes and the "appropriate undergarments." 

The order was signed by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who's presiding over the trial due to start next Tuesday. He ruled earlier this week that Bankman-Fried won't be able to tell the jury about the pre-trial detention.

The former FTX CEO was sent to jail last month after prosecutors accused him of witness tampering by leaking the private diary of former colleague and ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison to the New York Times and using an encrypted message app to contact a potential witness. Numerous requests from his lawyers soliciting his release have been rejected. 

'Air-gapped' laptop

Besides the fresh change of clothing, Bankman-Fried will be able to use a laptop in the courtroom — but it won't be connected to the internet. In a separate order Wednesday, Judge Kaplan authorized a defense paralegal manager to provide him with an "air-gapped," internet-disabled laptop each morning that he can use to take notes. 

The laptop has been prepared by a "technological consultant" to disable network connectivity functions, and it can't be independently re-enabled by the defendant, according to the order.

Bankman-Fried faces charges that could lead to decades in prison if he is convicted over allegations that he and other FTX executives improperly used billions of customer assets.