Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and former CEO of blood testing and life sciences company Theranos, arrives on the first day of jury selection in her anti-fraud trial, before the Federal Court in San Jose, California, on 31 August 2021.
Nick Otto | AFP | Getty Images
The Elizabeth Holmes anti-fraud trial jury is expected to end Thursday among 41 possible jurors chosen after two days of intense interrogation.
“We will have a sufficient number of jurors on this list to select a jury in this case,” U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila announced Wednesday after eight hours of questioning in the courtroom.
The 12-person jury with five alternates will likely promise an oath after being seated next Wednesday.
Holmes faces a dozen charges of fraud and conspiracy. The prosecution alleges that it deceived investors, patients and doctors. She has pleaded guilty.
Once the youngest female billionaire is crowned, Holmes now defends himself against charges that it was a fraud. He left Stanford at age 19 with the idea of making lab tests cheaper, faster, and less painful.
At its peak, Theranos was worth $ 9 billion – enchanted investors, such as media mogul Rupert Murdoch, the Walton family of Walmart, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots.
The trial, which is expected to last 13 weeks, is likely to include high-profile witnesses and dramatic moments.
The selection of the jury arises as a result of the shocking recently sealed documents that reveal that Holmes is laying the groundwork for a defense of mental health. The CEO, frankly stated, is expected to claim that his former partner and boyfriend, Sunny Balwani, has abused him psychologically, emotionally and sexually for a decade. Balwani denies the allegations.
The issue of intimate partner violence was discussed with potential jurors.
Davila on Wednesday asked the jury about her experience with domestic violence and about a dozen raised their hands, sharing their distressing experiences with the courtroom full of trials.
Earlier in the day, a possible jury said that if he were selected to be on the jury, he would want Holmes to take his position.
“I think I’d love to hear your testimony and hear what’s going on, your side, your story or your experience,” he said. “For me, it would probably help me understand what’s going on in this trial.”
The judge withdrew reminding the possible jury of the presumption of innocence until the accused was found guilty.
“I agree that she is presumed not guilty, but I would like to hear her side of the story independently,” the jury replied.
Prosecutors later questioned the same person asking if he would keep her against Holmes if she did not testify.
“Not necessarily, I just think it’s important to hear her voice and maybe who she is and what goes through her,” he said. “I think hearing anything from the source is a big deal.”
Among the excused jurors: a Safeway employee, a man who said his mother-in-law went to jail for fraud and embezzlement and several teachers who expressed difficulties over the lack of staff in the pandemic.
Another potential jury admitted to having seen a couple of “online memes and funny pictures” related to “something of a voice”. She went on to say that “people talk differently to different people, so I really don’t find it as anything to influence my opinion.”