Juror in Elizabeth Holmes’ fraud trial excused for Buddhist beliefs
A Buddhist juror was booted from the fraud trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes after she expressed growing anxiety about the potential punishment the one-time Silicon Valley superstar would face should she find her guilty.
Citing religious reasons, juror no. 4 requested she be dismissed from the California courtroom, telling U.S. District Judge Edward Davila that she practices Buddhism “for compassion ... for loving and forgiveness.”
“I keep thinking about this every day,” she continued, tearing up from behind her mask.
“It’s my first time in this situation and it’s her future. I don’t know if I’m 100% ready to participate in something like this.”
Once hailed as a revolutionary in the tech industry, Holmes is facing up to 20 years behind bars. She was indicted for wire fraud in June 2018, alongside Theranos’ former chief operating officer, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani. They’ve both pleaded not guilty to charges that include defrauding investors, doctors and patients by falsely claiming their company, once valued at $9 billion, could revolutionize medical lab testing with a unique technology, developed to deploy a wide range of tests with only a few drops of blood.
“I’m thinking of all the time she’ll be in jail,” she told the judge. “It’s very hard for me. I’m thinking what happens if she has to be in there for a long, long time and I’m out here. I’ll feel like it’s my fault.”
Davila on Tuesday agreed to release juror No. 4 from her duties, clearing the way for alternate juror No. 2 to take over.
The first alternate was brought earlier on in the trial to replace a juror excused for financial hardship.
