# The trial of Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos)\[sentenced to 11+ yrs, 18Nov2022\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 10, 2021, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138 "2021-07-10T04:42:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 42
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/873 "2025-05-19T22:59:49Z")
I love that bridge maintenance kept the smoot marks and started using them to identify locations for repairs or problems. They even replace them if repairs remove them. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/874 "2025-05-20T18:57:30Z")
It’s also the only place I’ve ever seen anyone use a decilitre. Why they went with that and not the typical 100 mL, I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/875 "2025-05-20T19:16:05Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > International Unit (IU)—Measures biological activity of substances (like insulin, vitamin D). Not based on weight or volume, but _effect_. Varies wildly between substances. I like this one a lot. Often, there are multiple chemicals that have essentially the same effect on a human, like different forms of vitamin D. And those chemicals have different weights. I don’t really care how many milligrams I’m taking, i do care how many IUs I’m taking. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/876 "2025-05-22T00:14:53Z")
It is a convenient unit, e.g., you could measure someone’s blood alcohol in grams per decilitre. For something like liquor bottles, on the other hand, it is too gross a unit so they use cl. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/877 "2025-05-22T22:25:24Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > For something like liquor bottles, on the other hand, it is too gross a unit Especially if there are 144 decilitres. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/878 "2026-01-22T12:49:56Z")
She might have found another grift! And this one has some meaningful odds of success. > **[Elizabeth Holmes asks Trump to commute her prison sentence](https://www.dw.com/en/elizabeth-holmes-asks-trump-to-commute-her-prison-sentence/a-75599260)** > > Elizabeth Holmes led people to believe that her now-defunct company, Theranos, had developed a medical device that could revolutionize blood tests. She is serving an 11-year sentence for fraud and conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/879 "2026-01-22T13:33:37Z")
Never going to happen. She committed the worst, most vile crime imaginable, scamming money from rich people. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/880 "2026-01-22T14:05:35Z")
That just bumps up the price. Unofficially, it seems something in the neighborhood of $1-$5 million in the right hands would do it. But her current reported worth is basically whatever she can find in couch cushions, so it might amount to the same thing in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/881 "2026-01-22T14:08:38Z")
I think her husband has money so maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/882 "2026-01-22T15:49:12Z")
He does. And don’t underestimate the orange toad’s attraction to blondes. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/883 "2026-01-22T16:13:54Z")
Although she’s not his type, and can’t get the cosmetic surgery to shape herself into his image of femininity in prison. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/884 "2026-01-22T16:19:20Z")
It at least wouldn’t be the absolute worst of these. With good behavior guidelines she was due to be released in 2031 anyway and has been in the pokey for a couple of years at this point. Either way she’s way too much of a narcissist be repentant no matter when it happens. It would be gross and outrageous if she is released early for defrauding investors. But less gross and outrageous than some of Trump’s other pardons like the fabulously corrupt [Juan Orlando Hernandez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Orlando_Hern%C3%A1ndez#U.S._drug_trafficking_investigation,_arrest,_extradition,_conviction_and_pardon) who was facing 45 years. The biggest issue for me was Holmes harming people, but she was found innocent of the charges of defrauding patients (even if I disagree with those verdicts, the law is what the law is). She’s a repellent little fish, but ultimately still just a little fish. It will just cause me to shrug with disgust at the continuing shit show of this administration, then I’ll forget about it. That said hopefully she is allowed to rot for a few more years so she can’t spend that time living in luxury while snowing more dim NYT reporters and poor, hapless, snake oil investors. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/885 "2026-01-22T17:00:30Z")
A sentence commutation is one thing. If she’s pardoned, she doesn’t have to pay restitution. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/886 "2026-01-22T17:12:03Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > If she’s pardoned, she doesn’t have to pay restitution. A very good point. Granted her husband is not on the hook for any of his assets, so she’ll be rich either way and it is hard to tell just how much if any money she has herself these days since Theranos went tits up. It would more be a lifelong burden thing of never being able to keep any excess she makes. Though that would still be worth something to the wheels of justice and hopefully would tamp down the grift a tad. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/887 "2026-01-25T05:39:35Z")
I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Trump pardons her. She doesn’t deserve it, but he’s already pardoned _much_ less deserving people. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/888 "2026-01-25T13:04:33Z")
IMO all his pardon decisions have been the result of either A) bribery, or B) a belief that trump will gain political advantage from it. I don’t see how B is applicable here; MAGA won’t be thrilled to turn her loose. So it’s down to A. Does she have access to enough money to interest him? My bet is “no”. There is a small case for C) pardon a few people at random _pour encourager les autres_, but C is far more effective when applied to marginal B cases than marginal A cases. IOW, better to pardon a random low-level MAGA true believer for their crimes (e.g. election tampering) in hopes of emboldening other low-level MAGA criminals than pardon some random con artist for their unsuccessful con. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/889 "2026-01-25T14:05:26Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > So it’s down to A. Does she have access to enough money to interest him? My bet is “no”. As noted upthread, she married a very wealthy man. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/890 "2026-01-25T14:34:43Z")
I am very tempted to insert a “somewhat dad” joke here ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/891 "2026-01-25T15:31:41Z")
True. But you presuppose he’d be interested in bailing her out. He might be quite happy to be rid of her. It’s not like his association with her has been all rosy for him. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138/892 "2026-01-25T16:16:11Z")
Googling, she met William Evans (her husband or partner; the Wikipedia article is unclear whether they were actually married) in 2017, by which time Theranos had started to unravel. So _presumably_ he knew what she was really like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138.md?page=41) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138.md?page=43)