Elizabeth Holmes took the stand again Monday in her trial on charges of criminal fraud, and the Theranos founder talked about the early days of the blood-testing startup and appeared to try to connect with jurors. Responding to what the AP terms "friendly questions" from her defense team, Holmes directly addressed the jury to explain some of the terms that were being used, sometimes smiled while testifying sans mask, and tried to make eye contact with jurors as they filed in and out of the courtroom. "We thought this was a really big idea," Holmes said of Theranos' attempts to automate the process so as to remove human error, per the Wall Street Journal. She largely testified about the results of clinical studies that appeared to show Theranos' finger-prick blood-testing technology would succeed, saying she believed the tech was on track.
The testimony came after the judge met with lawyers from both sides of the case behind closed doors for about an hour and a half, a delay that was not explained. In anticipation of Holmes taking the stand for a second day, a line formed outside the courtroom starting at 1am; about 35 people ultimately got in, including former Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou, whose 2015 series of articles on Theranos' problems started the company's slide. Holmes is expected to take the stand again Tuesday, and after a recess for the rest of the week due to Thanksgiving, her testimony is expected to continue next week—and get into "more intriguing territory," per the AP. Per CNBC, Monday's "mostly easy" questions allowed Holmes, who spoke in her recognizable baritone, to "play the role of young do-gooder." Eventually, the prosecution will be allowed to cross-examine. (More Elizabeth Holmes stories.)
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