SBF withdraws the motion for a retrial, stating that it cannot obtain a fair hearing from the judge

SBF wrote to New York Judge Lewis Kaplan, announcing the temporary withdrawal of the Rule 33 motion for a retrial. SBF stated that he needed to focus on answering the judge's question about whether his lawyers were involved in drafting the motion, and he believed he could not receive a fair hearing before that judge, so he decided to withdraw the motion. He plans to reserve the right to resubmit the motion after a ruling on the direct appeal and the related request for reassignment of the judge.

Previously, SBF was sentenced to 25 years in prison for defrauding clients and investors. In his letter, he confirmed that the motion was primarily completed through his independent legal research and drafting while in Brooklyn prison, with his parents only providing editorial suggestions and assistance with printing.