An intriguing twist in the trial of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm emerged after one juror reportedly requested time off to attend her mother’s birthday celebration.
On Aug. 4, Inner City Press shared updates from the courtroom, revealing that the juror, identified as “Ms. Nelson,” had asked for a break from deliberations on Aug. 5.
The juror reportedly explained that she was required to attend her mother’s all-day birthday party, which included a pedicure.
While the other jurors reportedly agreed to her request, US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla swiftly intervened and rejected the proposal.
According to the report, Judge Failla stated:
“I can tell them I have a sentencing later this week, and that other jurors have conflicts. And we do want them to sit for some portion of every day. I think the pedicure’s got to go. And I’m so sorry to say that. I don’t want to pick on her.”
As a result, the Inner City report noted that the jury agreed to adjust their deliberation timetable, continuing their discussions with a revised schedule of 8:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. instead of the usual 4:00 P.M. conclusion.
The Judge stated:
“[The jurors] proposed to deliberate tomorrow to 12:30, then the next days to 3:45, Friday until 1 P.M.”
The juror’s request has prompted mixed reactions from legal experts and within the crypto community.
Legal analyst James Murphy, known as MetaLawMan, pointed out the irony of the situation, noting that Storm is facing the possibility of decades in prison for creating immutable smart contract code while one of his jurors is seeking time off for a birthday celebration and pedicure.
Meanwhile, concerns have also emerged about how this could affect the trial’s outcome.
Aragon CEO Anthony Leutenegger warned that denying the juror’s request might lead to frustration, potentially influencing her decision in Storm’s case.
He stated:
“Not allowing her might sway her judgement as it might piss her off. Can you imagine this level of subjective decision making on someone’s life?”
Storm faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, violating sanctions, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
If convicted, he could face up to 45 years in prison for his alleged role in aiding hackers and cybercriminals to launder over $1 billion using the privacy tool, Tornado Cash.
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