Jury in Elizabeth Holmes trial takes break for new year

The jury deliberating over fraud charges in the case of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes departed on Wednesday without reaching a verdict and will resume discussions after the new year.

After six days of discussion, the eight men and four women on the jury said in a court filing that they would be taking a break until Monday despite the expectation that deliberations would continue on Thursday morning, according to The Associated Press. The jury was initially scheduled to have off Friday, New Year’s Eve. 

The jury did not leave an explanation as to why they paused discussions. They also did not provide information on the decision progress. 

The recent discussions come after a closed-door meeting between Holmes’s attorneys, Kevin Downey and Lance Wade, and Judge Edward Davila on Wednesday morning, the AP reported. Holmes, 37, was not present for the 23-minute meeting. 

While the hearing transcript has been sealed, it is not rare for plea agreement discussions to occur during jury deliberation. 

Holmes faces 11 criminal charges, two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud, and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison if convicted. She’s accused of taking part in a multimillion-dollar scheme in which she duped investors and praised her blood-testing technology as a medical breakthrough despite its critical errors.