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- Elizabeth Holmes’ trial has been delayed after a juror said they were potentially exposed to COVID-19.
- A juror told the judge they were awaiting lab test results but showed no symptoms, court records show.
- Judge Edward Davila quashed Friday’s proceedings. The trial is scheduled to resume on Tuesday.
A judge has delayed the trial of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and former CEO of Theranos, after a jury member was potentially exposed to COVID-19.
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On appeal Thursday evening, U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila told lawyers that a juror had told him about potential exposure to the virus, according to a court file. The juror told Davila they were awaiting lab test results but showed no symptoms, according to the record.
Davila canceled the trial scheduled for Friday. The trial is set to resume on Tuesday as it takes place on a shortened three-day-a-week schedule.
Court documents indicated the juror was vaccinated, wore a mask and maintained social distancing throughout jury selection and trial.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the juror had taken an over-the-counter test that came back negative.
“It’s a little, I don’t mean to say bad news, but it’s concerning that before we finish the first witness, we have a problem,” Davila said, according to CNBC. “For our good, across the county there are still high numbers and we hope everyone continues to be safe.”
Jeff Schenk, a U.S. assistant prosecutor, told the judge the government was concerned about the delay due to the large number of witnesses it planned to call in the coming months, according to CNBC. “I think at this stage it would be safe to continue the trial tomorrow, but I understand that the court might determine, especially at the beginning, that it is a little safer, that it has to be very careful. “Schenk said, according to CNBC.
Holmes has been charged with 10 counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiring to commit wire fraud. She pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts.
Holmes founded the Theranos blood testing start-up in 2003, at the age of 19. The company, which was valued at $ 9 billion at its peak, has developed a test for a variety of health conditions requiring blood from a single finger prick.
Theranos has become the subject of several investigations after regulators said there were major inaccuracies in its tests.
After a visit from FDA investigators, an explosive Wall Street Journal article, and the start of an SEC investigation, Holmes was banned from working in the lab testing industry for two years in July 2016. Theranos has closed its laboratory operations and wellness centers. later this year.
In June 2018, Holmes resigned as CEO and the Department of Justice charged her. Holmes faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
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