IN THE THICK OF IT

Pregnant Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Goes to Court to Hash Out Evidence

The long-delayed fraud trial is set to start in August.

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes appeared in court Tuesday for the first time in more than a year for arguments on what evidence will be allowed when her delayed fraud trial finally begins in August. Holmes, whose meteoric rise and spectacular fall have been endlessly chronicled, was visibly pregnant—the cause of the latest delay in her case. She is accused of misrepresenting a blood testing device to investors and patients; she billed it as revolutionary, while prosecutors say it was unreliable and she knew it. Her attorneys won a partial victory on one evidentiary issue, when the judge ruled that the defense can reference the hype-heavy culture of Silicon Valley startups—apparently to show the jury that Holmes’ bragging about her company’s product was not unusual. Hearings will continue this week.