Elizabeth Holmes, founder and former CEO at Theranos blood testing and life science company, arrives in San Jose for the first day in jury selection. She will be present in the fraud trial on August 31, 2021.
After two days of intensive questioning, 41 potential jurors were selected to form a jury for the Elizabeth Holmes fraud case trial. The final decision is expected by Thursday.
After eight hours of questioning in courtroom, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila declared that there would be enough jurors on this list to choose a jury for this case.
After they have been seated next Wednesday, the 12-member panel of jurors and five alternates will be likely to be sworn into office.
Holmes faces a dozen charges of wire fraud, conspiracy and other charges. Prosecutors claim she deceived investors, patients, and doctors. She has pleaded guilty.
Holmes was once crowned the youngest female selfmade billionaire. Now she is defending herself against accusations that she was a fraud. At 19 years old, she dropped out Stanford with the idea of making lab testing more affordable, quicker and less painful.
Theranos' peak value was $9 billion. This attracted high-profile investors like Rupert Murdoch and the Walton family of media companies, as well as Betsy DeVos, former Education Secretary, and Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots.
It is likely that the trial will last for 13 weeks and feature prominent witnesses and high-stakes moments.
The shockingly newly released documents reveal Holmes' preparations for a mental defense. Sunny Balwani, her ex-boyfriend and business partner, is expected to accuse Holmes of sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse over the past decade. Balwani refutes the allegations.
Potential jurors were able to discuss the topic of intimate partner violence.
Davila asked the jury to share their experiences with domestic violence on Wednesday. Around a dozen people responded, and they shared their horror with the packed courtroom.
One prospective juror stated earlier in the day that if he were selected for the jury, he would like Holmes to testify.
He said, "I think that I would like to listen to her testimony and hear how she's going though, her side or her experience." It would help me understand the trial.
The judge reminded the prospective juror of the presumption that the defendant is innocent until he is proven guilty.
The juror responded, "I agree she's to assume not guilty, but would like to hear her side of it regardless."
Later, the prosecution questioned Holmes again to see if he would hold it against her if she did not testify.
He said, "Not necessarily. I just think it is important to hear her voice. "I believe hearing from the source is a huge deal."
One of the jurors who were excused was a Safeway employee. He said that his mother-in law went to prison for fraud, embezzlement, and several teachers who cited hardships because they were understaffed during the pandemic.
Another potential juror confessed to having seen a few "online memes" and "funny images" related to "a voice thing." She said that people speak differently to each other so it didn't influence my opinion.
