Bitcoin Trial: Judge Tells Ross Ulbricht to Decide if He Wants to Testify in his own Defense
U. S. District Judge Katherine Forrest told Ross Ulbricht late last week that he has until the government rests its case Monday to decide if he wants to testify in his own defense, The Wall Street Journal reported today. Ulbricht is accused of operating Silk Road, the online drug marketplace. The judge's ultimatum struck some legal experts as unusual, according to The Wall Street Journal. Experts interviewed by the newspaper said defendants are typically allowed to wait until the end of a trial before deciding to testify or not. On Thursday, Ulbricht's lawyer, Joshua Dratel, objected to....
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The federal judge in charge of the tremendous Silk Road trial has been facing several online threats revealed during the previous days. The Darknet has posted leaked personal information and calls to "swat" her home. Also read: Judge Rejects Ross Ulbricht Silk Road Defense On a Technicality. Dissatisfied with the judge's rejection of the arguments put forward by Ulbricht's defense, who argued that the FBI unlawfully penetrated into Silk Road servers, Darknet users have taken the initiative to create an underground web page in the form of a Wiki, dedicated to the New York judge. The Wiki's....
Soon to be on trial, alleged Silk Road operator Ross Ulbricht is dealing with yet another rejection when it comes to his complex case. Most recently, Ulbricht - who federal officials suggest was known as "Dread Pirate Roberts" on the illicit Silk Road website - and his legal counsel suggested that the FBI's means of investigating Ulbricht was illegal and a breach of privacy rights, given the Bureau allegedly hacked his servers without proper warrants. Judge Katherine Forrest wasn't exactly having the defense, bringing up the point that Ulbricht hasn't admitted to own the servers. As such,....
Things just don't seem to be getting any better for Ross Ulbricht, the man Federal authorities say ran the illicit Silk Road marketplace (which allowed consumers to buy narcotics and other items using bitcoin) as DPR (or "Dread Pirate Roberts"). Just yesterday, it was reported that a New York Judge swatted down his recent defense claim that the FBI's investigation methods were flawed and illegal, and now, he's going to have to be waiting a bit longer before standing trial. Andy Greenberg of Forbes published on Twitter news today that Mr. Ulbricht's trial has been delayed. Originally....
Last month, Ross Ulbricht was found guilty by a federal jury in New York on all seven charges, including the "continuing criminal enterprise" charge normally reserved for traditional criminal organizations. Some of the bitcoins found on his laptop were sold off before the trial was concluded. Pundits nationwide speculated then that he will get the maximum penalty of life in prison, but his sentencing does not take place until May. High-profile felony cases are nearly always appealed, and occasionally even the most guilty-looking individuals either win or get a lighter sentence on appeal.....
Ross Ulbricht’s legal defense filed a reply to the government as part of his appeal this week. On behalf of Ulbricht, who was sentenced to double life in prison without parole for operating the Silk Road dark marketplace under the alias Dread Pirate Roberts (DPR) more than a year ago, attorney Joshua Dratel disputes the fairness of the trial. The defense has requested that Ulbricht’s “convictions should be vacated, and a new trial ordered, or that he be re-sentenced before a different district judge.” Ulbricht's defense had issued an initial appeal earlier this year, which was answered by....