(San José) Jurors in the trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes began deliberating late Friday to determine whether she is guilty of fraud or whether she genuinely believed she would revolutionize the blood testing market.
Composed of four women and eight men, the jury heard testimony for more than three months. If they feel that Mme Holmes has knowingly sought to deceive investors and the public, she faces decades in prison.
Sent home in the evening, they will resume their discussions on Monday.
Mme Holmes founded Theranos in 2003, at the age of 19. It promised to produce diagnostic tools faster and cheaper than traditional labs, but the machines never performed as promised.
In his indictment, the prosecutor accused the entrepreneur of choosing “fraud over bankruptcy” and, while her business was in decline, of lying about the advances in technology and the financial health of the company.
M’s lawyerme Holmes, Kevin Downey, tried to turn that image around by assuring that she had a good faith belief in his invention and was on the verge of making her dream come true when her start-up imploded.
“At the first sign of trouble, the crooks scrape the drawers, the criminals seek cover and the rats leave the ship,” he told jurors. Butme Holmes tried to save his company to the end, never selling a stake.
“She sank with the boat,” said the lawyer.
The case has caught the attention of the media and the business community, as it raises the question of how far start-ups can beautify their businesses as they mature.
Mme Holmes symbolized in many ways the entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley, between dropping out at 19 from his studies at prestigious Stanford University and his taste for black turtleneck sweaters, the iconic garment of the mystic co-founder of Apple Steve Jobs.