San Diego Union-Tribune

Could face 20 years if convicted

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hundreds of diseases and other health problems with just a few drops of blood taken with a finger prick instead of relying on vials of blood drawn from a vein.

It was such a compelling concept that Theranos raised more than $900 million and struck partnershi­ps with major retailers Walgreens and Safeway. Holmes herself became the subject of cover stories on business magazines.

But unknown to most people outside Theranos, the company’s blood-testing technology was flawed, often producing inaccurate results that could have endangered the lives of patients.

After the flaws were exposed in 2015 and 2016, Theranos eventually collapsed and the Justice Department filed a criminal case in 2018 that charged Holmes with 11 felony counts of fraud and conspiracy.

If convicted, Holmes could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

The jurors have provided few clues about how their deliberati­ons have been going so far.

During their first week discussing the case, they sent two notes to U.S. District Judge Edward Davila.

Their first asked if they could take home the jury instructio­ns to review them, a request that Davila swiftly rejected.

The other note prompted a replay of secret recordings from a Holmes presentati­on to prospectiv­e investors during a 2013 conference call. In the recording, which was presented as evidence at trial, Holmes boasts about partnershi­ps with establishe­d drug companies that hadn’t panned out and potential U.S. military contracts that never materializ­ed because of problems with Theranos’ technology.

After listening to the recordings again on Thursday, the jurors left the courtroom without returning Holmes’ gaze from across the courtroom.

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