The jury in the Elizabeth Holmes trial is unable to reach a verdict for the second week in a row
The jury of eight men and four women concluded their deliberations for the year on Wednesday, and ended their second week with the case without reaching a verdict.
Considerations, which have so far stretched over 44 hours over six days, are scheduled to resume Monday in a federal courthouse in San Jose after the New Year.
On overtime days, Members of the public and the press lined up outside the courthouse early in the morning to get one of the limited seats inside Judge Edward Davila’s courtroom, the presiding judge, should the jury rule.
However, the courtroom remained closed unless it was a note from the jury that was to be read, or a verdict. This meant several long days of waiting in the hallway outside the courtroom for the cottery for almost three dozen people ̵[ads1]1; mainly journalists – who were waiting for the verdict. While there is a separate, empty courtroom available for waiting, most people choose the hallway to keep an eye on any coming and going to Davila’s courtroom.
Legal experts say it is difficult to know if there is anything that can be read into how the jury members discuss and where they can stand to pass a verdict.
“It’s a very mysterious process,” said Henry E. Hockeimer, Jr., a defense attorney at Ballard Spahr LLP and a former federal prosecutor. “With the length of the trial and the complexity, I do not think it is so outrageous that they [deliberating] so long. ”
“It’s a long trial. A long trial, unless it’s just a slam dunk, will result in rather lengthy deliberations,” said Hockeimer, adding that jurors who are part of a long trial, and especially a high-profile federal trial. , is usually committed. “They take their commitments seriously.”
According to Shan Wu, a criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, “it’s actually not uncommon to have very few notes.”
“I want to say that they are comfortable with what they have been given … and they just take the time to go through it,” Wu added, noting that Holmes’ testimony, which lasted seven days, ” gives them a lot to think about. “
The minutes from the court for Tuesday revealed a 23-minute procedure shortly after kl. 11 local time attended by the judge who led the case, as well as lawyers for both the defense and the prosecution. But the court ordered the proceedings sealed and refused to share further details about what it concerned. The next day, Wednesday, two sealed documents arrived at the trial.
Holmes faces 11 federal fraud charges for allegations that she deliberately misled investors, doctors and patients about the company’s ability to take blood samples to take their money and prevent Theranos from failing.
If convicted by the jury, Holmes faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $ 250,000 plus redress for each count of wire fraud and each conspiracy count. She has pleaded guilty.
