A California judge on Thursday fired nine people on a jury because they were not vaccinated against COVID-19, Reuters reported.
U.S. District Judge Edward Davila, who presides over the fraud trial of former Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, said his reasoning for firing unvaccinated people was because he wanted to ensure the health of jurors and their families.
The cable service noted that both the defense and the prosecution supported Davila’s decision.
The topic of COVID-19 vaccination was presented during a final jury questionnaire, which asked people if they had been vaccinated against COVID-19 or if they planned to get vaccinated.
Finally, a jury selection was reached with seven men and five women, in addition to five alternates, CNBC reported.
Experts told Reuters that the decision to fire unvaccinated people from a jury group could alter the composition and representation of the jury group, which in turn could affect the fairness of the trial. The state of vaccination has often fallen along partisan lines.
The Hill has contacted the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to comment.
Theranos, a now-defunct blood testing company, raised a significant amount of money from investors at its peak, but a 2015 Wall Street Journal investigation showed there were limitations to the company’s technology, which eventually went affect the viability of the business later. turned on.
Holmes now faces multiple conspiracy charges for committing fraud and fraud. Her ex-boyfriend and former president of Theranos, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, will have her own fraud process.
The court records indicate that Holmes will likely testify during his trial and also indicate a possible defense strategy alleging that Holmes was abused against Balwani and that it affected his ability to make decisions.
Balwani’s attorneys, Jeffrey Coopersmith, wrote in a file that “Mrs. Holmes’ accusations are deeply offensive to Mr. Balwani, personally devastating to him,” according to NPR.