Jury in Elizabeth Holmes’s criminal fraud case to reconvene next week

No verdict reached after six days of deliberations

Elizabeth Holmes has pleaded not guilty to defrauding investors, patients and advertisers when she served as chief executive of the blood testing start-up Theranos. Photograph: Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Elizabeth Holmes has pleaded not guilty to defrauding investors, patients and advertisers when she served as chief executive of the blood testing start-up Theranos. Photograph: Jim Wilson/The New York Times

The jury weighing Elizabeth Holmes’s criminal fraud case finished its sixth full day of deliberations without a verdict, deciding to reconvene next week, on January 3rd.

It's hardly unusual for jurors to take their time deciding white-collar criminal cases. Even so, the jury in federal court in San Jose, California, has been especially quiet. The group of eight men and four women heard closing arguments in the Theranos founder's almost two weeks ago. Since that time they've made only one meaningful request to review evidence presented at trial.

After hearing three months of testimony, the jury deliberated for three days before deciding on December 23rd to stop until after the Christmas holiday. Jurors met for three more days this week.

The 37-year-old entrepreneur was charged with fraud and conspiracy in 2018, the same year that her blood-testing startup collapsed after previously reaching a valuation of $9 billion (€7.9 billion). Ms Holmes is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. She has pleaded not guilty. – Bloomberg