(CNN Business)Elizabeth Holmes and the US government are set to face off in a San Jose federal courtroom in the long-awaited criminal trial of the founder and former CEO of Theranos.
In opening arguments Wednesday and throughout the trial, the government will seek to convince jurors that the Stanford University dropout, who for a time had been hailed as the next Steve Jobs, intended to mislead investors, patients, and doctors about the capabilities of her company and its proprietary blood testing technology in order to take their money. Holmes, who founded Theranos in 2003 at age 19 with the lofty mission of revolutionizing blood testing, has pleaded not guilty. She faces up to 20 years in prison.
The defense has more of a tightrope to walk with jurors with its opening statement, according to legal experts. Holmes’ camp will seek to “balance their desire to surprise the government … and their desire to let the jury know that there is another side to the government’s story,” according to Nancy Gertner, a former US federal judge and senior lecturer at Harvard Law School.
The rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes: A timelineHolmes’ story once had the hallmarks of a Silicon Valley legend. She catapulted her startup to a $9 billion valuation on the promise that technology could efficiently test for conditions like cancer and diabetes with just a few drops of blood taken by finger stick. (She claimed the inspiration for the company was her fear of needles.) She secured key retail partners like Walgreens and Safeway, and was lauded on magazine covers as the richest self-made woman. Then, the dominoes started to fall after a 2015 investigation into its testing methods and capabilities by the Wall Street Journal; three years later, the company dissolved. Read MoreWhile entrepreneurs are known for sometimes being overly enthusiastic about their prospects, even in their earliest stages, in what’s often referred to as a “fake it til you make it” mentality, the Department of Justice will seek to prove that Holmes crossed a line and committed fraud by knowingly deceiving investors, partners, doctors and patients.
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and former CEO of blood testing and life sciences company Theranos, arrives for the first day of jury selection in her fraud trial, outside Federal Court in San Jose, California on August 31, 2021. It will argue that Theranos never successfully developed technology capable of running a full range of clinical tests on its machines with a few drops of blood, but the company nonetheless promoted itself and its devices as capable of doing so. Recently unsealed court documents reveal that Holmes’ attorneys may seek to defend her by pointing the finger at another Theranos executive, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, also Holmes’ ex-boyfriend. The documents disclose that Holmes may claim she experienced psychological, emotional and sexual abuse by Balwani, which ultimately rendered him — not Holmes — in control. (Balwani, who is facing the same criminal fraud charges, will be tried after Holmes; he has also pleaded not guilty and, according to a court filing, “adamantly denies” the abuse claims.)
Elizabeth Holmes' trial is set to begin: Here's what you need to knowHolmes’ legal team has indicated she’s likely to speak to the abuse allegations herself, but experts say they don’t expect Holmes’ attorneys to commit to the risky decision of having her testify until the government’s case against Holmes becomes clearer. She is listed as a potential witness in her defense, according to her proposed witness list filed this week. Dr. Mindy Mechanic, who specializes in violence against women, is also among her possible witnesses.According to Thomas Joo, a professor at UC Davis School of Law who specializes in corporate governance and white collar crime, the defense could have a “potential blockbuster testimony” if Holmes takes the stand. The challenge in the defense’s opening statement will be to tease that potential but not to overpromise, said Joo, noting that the latter could “turn the jury against them.”A jury of seven men and five women was sworn in last Thursday after Holmes’ attorneys, federal prosecutors and Judge Edward Davila vetted more than 80 potential jurors over the course of two days. They were questioned about everything from their consumption of media pertaining to Holmes and Theranos to whether they or any loved ones have experienced domestic abuse. The jury appeared to be diverse, both ethnically and in terms of age. (Five alternatives were also sworn in.)The government and Holmes have indicated in filings whom they may call on as possible witnesses. Both sides are peppered with well-known names.
Elizabeth Holmes likely to accuse ex-boyfriend and former Theranos executive of psychological and sexual abuse, court documents revealThe government’s most recent list includes roughly 180 names, including former Theranos staffers: media mogul Rupert Murdoch, once reportedly the company’s largest investor with more than $100 million; David Boies, the prominent attorney who was an investor, board member and legal defense for Holmes and Theranos for a time; as well as former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and four-star general and future Defense Secretary James Mattis, both once board members. Patients who say they were affected by Theranos’ inaccurate test results are also expected to testify.Holmes’ list, filed this week, includes several prosecutors on the case, as well as officials from the US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Additionally, Bill Frist, the former Senate majority leader, Riley Bechtel, former chair of the construction giant, and Richard Kovacevich, the former Wells Fargo CEO, all once Theranos board members, are on her list. Reporter John Carreyrou, who broke the story of Theranos in 2015 for the Journal and subsequently wrote the best selling book “Bad Blood,” is also on the list. Both sides have indicated they have mountains of evidence to potentially introduce. The government’s potential exhibit list runs nearly 240 pages and mentions correspondence between Holmes and Kissinger, emails from Murdoch to Holmes, and text messages between Holmes and Balwani. Holmes’ filing runs nearly 60 pages and mentions emails from Balwani to Holmes, as well as numerous LinkedIn profiles and resumes.
The stakes of the opening statements are incredibly high. “A lot of lawyers believe that cases are won and lost in opening statements,” said Joo. “How much do you promise the jury at this point?”The trial, which is closed to cameras, is expected to last roughly 13 weeks.
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