Rosendorff stands pat on Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes: “She needs to pay her debt to society”

Monday’s limited hearing in US District Court on Adam Rosendorff’s Mysterious Visit to Casa Holmes is likely to be a Defense Dud. Rosendorff walked Judge Edward Davila through the circumstances of his visit, what he said–which differed from Holmes’ partner Billy Evans’ recollection–and reaffirmed his testimony in the Holmes trial plus his sworn declaration given prior to the hearing.

• He recounted his feelings of distress that Holmes’ and Evans’ son would “spend his formative years” without his mother in prison. The surprise contained here is his testimony that “It’s my understanding that Ms. Holmes may be pregnant again.” Follow-up by reporters outside of court was not answered by either Dr. Rosendorff or Evans.
• Rosendorff reaffirmed that he testified “truthfully and honestly” on Theranos. “At all times the government has encouraged me to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.” 
• Regarding telling Evans that the prosecution made the situation at Theranos sound worse than it was, Rosendorff did not recall that. He reconfirmed that he didn’t believe the prosecution did that. Rather, the prosecution “was trying to paint an accurate picture of Elizabeth Holmes.” 
• As to another Evans statement that Rosendorff regretted that the prosecutors made people at Theranos look bad, he countered that “to the extent that other people looked bad, it was because of their association with Elizabeth.”
• Overall, “I don’t want to help Ms. Holmes. At this point she needs to pay her debt to society.”

For anyone who has been through a legal process, Dr. Rosendorff’s all-too-human reactions after the extraordinary strain of two trials as well as the destruction of his career, his wanting to square things with, and confront, the cause of years of tsuris is understandable. That, of course, was ill-advised in the extreme. One only hopes that he has family and friends to comfort, counsel, and help him in moving toward a satisfying future, perhaps well away from California. He can also reflect that the four counts for Holmes and 12 for Balwani were on fraud, proved by the testimony of others who certainly aren’t running to Casa Holmes banging on her door.

Barring any other defense rabbits out of hats, Holmes is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Davila on her four counts on 18 November to begin paying her debt to society. Mercury News