Former defense attorney for FTX: SBF faced the worst cross-examination in history, defeat was inevitable early on

David Mills, a prominent figure in the legal industry and colleague of the parents of FTX founder at Stanford Law School, also a former defense attorney in the FTX case, broke his silence on the FTX case for the first time in an interview with Bloomberg, revealing the internal situation and challenges of defending FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF).

The Distinguished Legal Career of Mills

Mills' legal career is characterized by high-risk cases, from the securities fraud case against the junk bond king Michael Milken and Drexel Burnham Lambert in the 1980s, to refusing to advise Theranos company founder Elizabeth Anne Holmes.

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His decision to be involved in the FTX case was due to emotional ties with SBF family members.

Mills' personal involvement in the FTX case highlights the emotional burden of such high-profile trials, whether it's his close relationship with SBF's parents or his deep involvement in the case, all of which led him to decide:

"I will not engage in cases with such heavy personal emotions again."

SBF's Performance: The Unpredictable Defendant

David Mills pointed out a key aspect of the trial, where SBF deviated from the planned defense against legal advice.

Additionally, Mills described SBF's performance under cross-examination by the prosecutor as one of the worst he had seen:

"He may be one of the worst cross-examiners I have ever seen."

The Inevitable Outcome, But SBF Did Not Intend to Commit Crimes

At the age of 76, Mills has no doubts about the outcome of the SBF case. He admits that the compelling testimonies of the prosecution's witnesses and certain pre-trial rulings by the judge made it nearly impossible for the defense to hold their ground. Mills reflected:

"The verdict was inevitable, but I don't think the trial was fair. I believe he is innocent because he did not have the intention to do wrong. When three or four co-founders all point fingers at you, it's almost impossible to win the case, even if they are all lying. Winning such a lawsuit is really, really difficult."

The Verdict of the FTX Case and Its Consequences

Following the jury's swift guilty verdict that SBF had embezzled billions of dollars from FTX clients, Mills expressed concerns about the fairness of the trial and the pressure of his relationship with the SBF family. He felt extreme sadness for SBF and his family, uncertain if their friendship could continue.

However, he also admitted that he was unwilling to participate in any potential appeals for the SBF case.