London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Dec 25, 2025

Jury in Elizabeth Holmes trial fails to reach a verdict for second straight week

Jury in Elizabeth Holmes trial fails to reach a verdict for second straight week

The high-profile criminal fraud trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes will officially resume in 2022.

The jury of eight men and four women concluded their deliberations for the year on Wednesday, capping off their second week with the case without reaching a verdict.

Deliberations, which have so far spanned 44 hours over six days, are scheduled to resume Monday in a San Jose federal courthouse after the New Year.

On deliberation days, members of the public and the press lined up outside the courthouse in the early hours of the morning in order to get one of the limited seats inside Judge Edward Davila's courtroom, the judge presiding, should the jury return a verdict.

The courtroom, however, remained closed unless there was a note from the jury to be read, or a verdict. That meant several long days of waiting in the hallway outside the courtroom for the coterie of nearly three dozen people — mainly journalists — awaiting the verdict. While there is a separate, empty courtroom made available for waiting, most opt for the hallway to keep an eye on any comings and goings to Davila's courtroom.

Unlike the first week of deliberations, when jurors asked to hear back audio recordings of a call where Holmes is heard pitching investors, they did not have any notes with requests to review evidence in the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Legal experts say it is hard to know if there's anything that can be read into how the jurors are deliberating and where they may stand in returning a verdict.

"It's a really mysterious process," said Henry E. Hockeimer, Jr., a white-collar defense attorney at Ballard Spahr LLP and a former federal prosecutor. "With the length of the trial and the complexity, I don't think it's that outrageous that they're [deliberating] this long."

"It's a long trial. A long trial, unless it's just a slam dunk, will result in pretty long deliberations," said Hockeimer, who added that jurors who are part of a long trial, and especially a high-profile federal trial at that, are typically committed. "They take their obligations seriously."

According to Shan Wu, a criminal defense lawyer and a former federal prosecutor, "it's actually not unusual to have very few notes."

"I would say they are comfortable with what they've been given... and they're just taking their time going through it," added Wu, noting that Holmes' testimony, which spanned seven court days, "gives them a lot to mull over."

Minutes from the court for Tuesday revealed a 23-minute proceeding shortly after 11 a.m. local time attended by the judge presiding over the case as well as attorneys for both the defense and the prosecution. But the court ordered the proceedings sealed and declined to share further details on what it pertained to. The following day, Wednesday, two sealed documents made their way to the court docket.

Holmes faces 11 federal fraud charges over allegations that she knowingly misled investors, doctors and patients about her company's blood testing capabilities in order to take their money and prevent Theranos from failing.

If convicted by the jury, Holmes faces up to 20 years in prison as well as a fine of $250,000 plus restitution for each count of wire fraud and each conspiracy count. She has pleaded not guilty.

The high-profile trial began more than three months ago, with much of that time taken up by the government's case and the 29 witnesses it called to testify. The defense called three witnesses, culminating in testimony from Holmes herself.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
Ex-ICC Prosecutor Alleges UK Threatened to Withdraw Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Bid
UK Disciplinary Tribunal Clears Carter-Ruck Lawyer of Misconduct in OneCoin Case
‘Pink Ladies’ Emerge as Prominent Face of UK Anti-Immigration Protests
Nigel Farage Says Reform UK Has Become Britain’s Largest Party as Labour Membership Falls Sharply
Google DeepMind and UK Government Launch First Automated AI Lab to Accelerate Scientific Discovery
UK Economy Falters Ahead of Budget as Growth Contracts and Confidence Wanes
Australia Approves Increased Foreign Stake in Strategic Defence Shipbuilder
×