“`html
Jurors who will determine whether two siblings are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a case involving maximal extractable value (MEV) robots on the Ethereum blockchain are no closer to arriving at a conclusion as they approach the weekend.
According to coverage from Inner City Press at a New York City courtroom on Friday, the jurors in the US government’s case against Anton and James Peraire-Bueno sought further clarity from the judge concerning the motivations behind their actions. In spite of the directives from the judge, the jurors were reportedly “facing challenges reaching a unanimous decision” in the case.
The report indicated that the jury could acquit the siblings on at least one of the counts regarding conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to receive stolen assets. Judge Jessica Clarke rejected the defense counsel’s requests for a mistrial and instructed the jury to order dinner and persist with their deliberations.
The discussions, having extended nearly three full business days as of Friday afternoon, have notably surpassed the duration of similar cases centered on cryptocurrency and fraud. In comparison, the jury for the criminal trial of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, in the same district court, required about five hours to convict him of seven felony counts.
Related: Polymarket filled with ‘artificial trading,’ Columbia University researchers discover
The allegations against the siblings arose from claims that they utilized MEV bots to extract approximately $25 million in cryptocurrency from the Ethereum blockchain in 2023. The prosecution’s narrative presented to the jury suggested that the two individuals had “deceived” the system by portraying themselves as “trustworthy validators” on the blockchain.
How long can juries deliberate?
At the time of publication, it remained uncertain whether the jury would arrive at a verdict by day’s end. In a note to the judge on Thursday, they indicated they could remain until 7:30 pm ET on Friday.
While there is typically no statute limiting the duration for jury deliberations, a judge can intervene to accelerate proceedings or grant a motion for mistrial if the jury signals that it is deadlocked. In the Peraire-Buenos’ case, Clarke has not issued an Allen charge — “instructions given to a hung jury urging them to reach an agreement on a verdict,” according to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute.
Magazine: Mysterious Mr Nakamoto author: Discovering Satoshi would harm Bitcoin
Source link
“`
