This week, the main witnesses at the fraud trial of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the blood testing start-up Theranos, were former lab directors who testified about some of the inner workings of the failed company. But a different issue increasingly loomed over the proceedings: Just how long is Ms. Holmes’s trial going to last?
Here are the key takeaways from this week’s events.
Plagued by delays
First there was a Covid scare. Then a juror had to travel for a funeral. Then a broken water main canceled testimony. And on Tuesday, the court’s technology system went down, delaying proceedings several hours and forcing lawyers to show exhibits on a projector.
Judge Edward Davila of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, who is overseeing the case, apologized and said he was “very embarrassed” by the technical issues. The witness stand was outfitted with a lamp.
The delays, cancellations and other unexpected interruptions have added to a growing sense of time pressure for a trial that was originally set to begin in mid-2020 but was then postponed many times by procedural issues, the pandemic and, finally, Ms. Holmes’s pregnancy.
By the time jury selection began in August, six years had passed since The Wall Street Journal exposed how Theranos’s claims about its technology were not what they appeared to be. Many witnesses have said during testimony that their memory of events — some from more than a decade ago — was not crystal clear.
Understand the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the blood testing start-up Theranos, is currently standing trial for two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud.
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- Updates From the Courtroom: Erin Griffith and Erin Woo, two Times tech reporters, are covering the trial. Follow along here.
- Key Figures: Get to know the people involved, including, two whistleblowers and the U.S. secretary of defense, James Mattis.
- Understanding Holmes: Was Ms. Holmes driven by greed and power or a victim of manipulation?
- What You Don’t See: This is what goes on behind the closed doors of the courtroom.
The prosecution has taken 10 weeks to get through 23 witnesses from a list of nearly 200 it could call. By contrast, the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse over the shootings last year in Kenosha, Wis., has heard 26 witnesses in six days.
Many of the boldface names on the prosecution’s list, like Henry Kissinger, Rupert Murdoch or David Boies, have not yet been called. Judge Davila’s public calendar has the trial set to end on Dec. 10.
On Wednesday, the prosecution provided some timing clarity. Prosecutors said they were likely to rest their case against Ms. Holmes next week. Then her defense will be up next.
Who’s Who in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
Who’s Who in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of the blood testing start-up Theranos, stands trial for two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud.
Here are some of the key figures in the case →
Who’s Who in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
Holmes founded Theranos in 2003 as a 19-year-old Stanford dropout. She raised $700 million from investors and was crowned the world’s youngest billionaire, but has been accused of lying about how well Theranos’s technology worked. She has pleaded not guilty.
Who’s Who in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
Ramesh Balwani, known as Sunny, was Theranos’s president and chief operating officer from 2009 through 2016 and was in a romantic relationship with Holmes. He has also been accused of fraud and may stand trial next year. He has pleaded not guilty.
Who’s Who in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
David Boies, a prominent litigator, represented Theranos as its lawyer and served on its board.
He tried to shut down whistle-blowers and reporters who questioned the company’s business practices.
Who’s Who in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
The journalist John Carreyrou wrote stories exposing fraudulent practices at Theranos.
His coverage for The Wall Street Journal helped lead to the implosion of Theranos.
Who’s Who in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
Tyler Shultz and Erika Cheung are former Theranos employees and were whistle-blowers. They worked at the start-up in 2013 and 2014.
Shultz is a grandson of George Shultz, a former secretary of state who was on the Theranos board.
Who’s Who in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
James Mattis, a retired four-star general, was a member of Theranos’s board.
He went on to serve as President Donald J. Trump’s secretary of defense.
Who’s Who in the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
Edward Davila, a federal judge for the Northern District of California, will oversee the case.
Kevin Downey, a partner at the Washington law firm Williams & Connolly, is the lead lawyer for Holmes.
Robert Leach, an assistant United States attorney for the Northern District of California, will lead the prosecution for the government, along with other prosecutors from the U.S. attorney’s office.
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