Late Night Legend David Letterman Passed Over for Jury in Crypto Fraud Trial

Television icon David Letterman, former host of “The Late Show,” appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Monday as a potential juror in a criminal trial concerning cryptocurrency fraud.

According to an ABC News report, Letterman was identified in court only as “Juror 16,” and underwent the standard juror questioning process alongside approximately three dozen other potential jurors. The selection aimed to finalize a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates for the upcoming trial.

During the proceedings, Judge P. Kevin Castel asked Letterman a series of questions to assess his suitability for the jury. Letterman initially responded with “Hartford”—in Connecticut, outside the court’s jurisdiction—when asked about his residence. He quickly clarified that it was a joke, per the report.

The interaction continued with questions about his occupation, to which Letterman replied that he was “currently working for a company called Netflix.” He also shared personal details, mentioning his 20-year-old son attending college in Massachusetts and his interests in sports and outdoor activities.

“Ever called as a juror?” the judge inquired. “Been called many times. Just couldn’t make it happen,” Letterman answered. Judge Castel remarked, “You know, this may be the charm,” noting that Letterman had a 50-50 chance of being selected.

Despite progressing through the selection process, Letterman was ultimately dismissed when the prosecution exercised a peremptory strike. This allows attorneys to remove a certain number of potential jurors without stating a reason.

While no specific details are known about the case in question, fraud has only grown in the crypto world in recent years. A recent FBI report indicated that in 2023, crypto was involved in a record 87% of all investment fraud losses, totaling $3.96 billion. That’s a sharp increase from $3.3 billion in 2022, and a staggering 18-times increase from $253 million lost in 2018.

Edited by Andrew Hayward