Kleiman v Wright: Updated witness list filed

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The parties in Kleiman v Wright have submitted their updated proposed joint witness list for November’s trial.

The list is broken into two categories: fact and expert witness. Fact witnesses are generally those who are there to give evidence of fact and not opinion. Expert witnesses, on the other hand, provide opinion within their expertise.

The list is not substantially different from that filed in June 2020. There is one additional fact witness, bringing the total to 24. There are now only 11 expert witnesses rather than 13, reflecting last November’s fight over which expert witnesses would be allowed at trial.

The additional witness is Sarah Gonzalez, paralegal for Dr. Wright’s counsel.

The other fact witnesses make for an interesting list. There’s Don Lynam, Dr. Wright’s uncle whose deposition is worth a read by itself. Lynam swore that Dr. Wright had given him a draft copy of the now-famous Satoshi Nakamoto White Paper in mid-2008, and is one of the people best placed to comment on Dr. Wright’s background and activities around the time Bitcoin was being invented.

Dr. Wright’s wife, Ramona Watts, is also on the fact witness list. The ability of her and her husband to travel to Miami for the November trial was the subject of last week’s last-minute status conference.

Lynn Wright, Dr. Wright’s ex-wife, is another fact witness. She came forward in October as a controlling member of W&K Info Defence, the corporate vehicle being used by Ira Kleiman to sue Dr. Wright in this case, in order to seek a court order barring Kleiman from using the company in this way. That petition was stayed, but she, too, will be able to shed light on one of the areas that should be at the heart of Kleiman’s case: W&K Info Defence and more broadly, whether or not there was ever a partnership between Dave Kleiman and Dr. Wright.

There is also the mysterious witness number 11, evidently called by Dr. Wright, whose identity and deposition are under a protective order by the Court.

The parties also submitted their joint trial exhibit list, which Judge Bloom had requested the parties prepare back in May. The exhibits of both parties are subject to objections and are expected to be discussed at the September 14 calendar call, which now looks set to take place in person in Florida.