Elizabeth Holmes trial delayed because she is pregnant

Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, whose criminal fraud trial was scheduled to begin in July, is asking for a delay because she is pregnant.

His defense attorneys and prosecutors on Friday asked Judge Edward Davila to delay the start of his trial by six weeks to begin August 31, 2021.

“On March 2, 2021, the defendant’s lawyer informed the government that the defendant was pregnant, with a due date set for July 2021,” write prosecutors and lawyers for Holmes. “Both parties agree that in light of this development, it is not possible to start the trial on July 13, 2021.”

No further details were immediately available.

The trial has already been delayed three times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Holmes’ legal team was ready to raise the issue of mental health as part of their defense strategy. In an earlier filing, Holmes’ attorneys wrote that they intended to present evidence “relating to a mental illness or defect or other mental condition of the defendant relating to … the issue of guilt. “.

This would include expert testimony from Dr. Mindy Mechanic, professor of clinical psychology at California State University Fullerton, who, according to the University’s website, “focuses on the psychosocial consequences of violence, trauma, and pain. victimization with a focus on violence against women and other forms of violence. interpersonal violence. “

The judge gave federal prosecutors the opportunity to conduct their own examination of Holmes’ mental health and be examined by two experts, a psychologist and a psychiatrist.

Holmes and his former COO Sunny Balwani each face a dozen criminal fraud charges and 20 years in prison for falsely claiming that Theranos technology could run dozens of blood tests with just a drop or two of blood.

The Silicon Valley startup was once valued at $ 9 billion before closing in 2018.