>It sounds like you think he might be trying to be honest and forthright, but his intentions are lost in translation. Whereas the other commenters think it's more likely that he was being obstructionist?

I'm not thinking it's all one way or the other.

A person who is lying/willing to lie will still take every opportunity to tell the truth if it makes him look good.

Separately, an autistic person has trouble understanding and being understood, and then emotions flare and the autistic person is more disconnected.

His autistic answers to questions can look evasive, but they are not necessarily, especially if the truth is actually on his side. There will be many questions he is trying to answer honestly because the truth is on his side, but his awkwardness looks evasive.

He may simultaneously have a motive and willingness to also be evasive and lie.

And then a layer of he-said-she-said, there are always two sides to a story and how to remember and tell it, and the truth lies in the middle (with the lies? hahaha)

If the defendent is entitled to the benefit of the doubt, I am pointing out that much of what people are making great sport of here can be interpreted as reasonable doubt. But at the same time, I don't doubt that there was a strong case against him overall, and he was guilty.

To use a blunt analogy, to me I'm hearing people saying "look at that lying cheating wop eat spaghetti on his private plane and as his last meal!" (I chose Italian because I am) Well, that lying cheating Italian might be named Ponzi (the other reason I chose Italian) and he deserves to go to jail, but it's this bystander jeering that sounds bad to me, that type of attitude can be turned against any one of us.

I agree with you that it's unfair to laugh at what might be Sam's genuine attempts to be honest when answering a question. I appreciate your account of your own experience. The only thing I would disagree with is that there is any kind of "correct" or "normie" answer to questions made by a prosecutor during cross examination. If they are good at their job then they will only ever ask questions that they already know the answer to. The only hope you have in that case is that the judge will allow you to speak beyond what the prosecutor has asked about. I don't think it matters whether you're autistic or normie as you put it. Like you say, most people here would crumble in that position.

The problem with your description is that he only acts like that when he is questioned about criminal and unethical acts he has committed lr when someone challenges him. He acts completely different when he's treated as the smartest guy in the room.

e.g. when being asked questions in this trial by the defense

I was eager and willing to watch the whole thing, but it isn't available.

When I read the 2nd hand accounts of it, all I see are people making fun of a person who I see as autistic. That has made me not even read up on all the 2nd hand accounts, so I can't draw the more sweeping generalizations that you feel comfortable making. mea culpa

and any person is going to be more uncomfortable when questioned about the illegal parts. I'm simply saying that will exaggerate the autism experience and make him look extra guilty compared to a smooth talking guilty huckster.

I do believe he's guilty.

I didn't make any generalizations, much less sweeping ones. His behavior on the stand and in interviews is an objective fact.

I'm not a medical professional, but he actually doesn't seem autistic to me. For one, he is rather socially and emotionally manipulative.

One needs to also remember that he is a drug addict. I'm sure it hasn't been easy being in jail becuase of that.

Also, you can find transcripts from the trial. I'm not sure if there are official sources that anyone has access to, but here's one I found from his October 31 testimony: https://blog.bitmex.com/sam-bankman-fried-trial-transcript-3...

Sorry if I'm just being dense, but could you clarify which parts of other comments you see as jeering?

(FWIW, I agree with pretty much the rest of your points.)