Sam Bankman-Fried took the stand for the first time Thursday afternoon in Manhattan, but he didn’t have to answer to the jury just yet. 

The dress rehearsal gave the public a glimpse into the defense’s case, which appears to rely on one document they cannot actually produce: an alleged “document retention policy” attorneys apparently drafted for Alameda and FTX. 

Senior Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered a hearing Thursday afternoon, opting to dismiss the jury early to privately hear direct testimony from Bankman-Fried, plus a cross examination from the prosecution. 

The purpose was for Kaplan to decide what he will allow the parties to repeat in front of the jury Friday. 

The…

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