An intriguing turn in the trial against co-founder of Tornado Cash Roman Storm arose after a jury member reportedly asked to attend her mother’s birthday.
Inner City Press shared on August 4 updates Unveiling from the courtroom that the jury member, identified as ‘Mrs. Nelson’, had asked for a break of deliberations on 5 August.
The jury member reportedly explained that she was obliged to attend her mother’s birthday party all day, including a pedicure.
While the other jury members reportedly agreed to her request, the American district judge Katherine Polk Faila quickly intervened and rejected the proposal.
According to the report, Judge Faila stated:
“I can tell them that I have a conviction later this week, and that other jury members have conflicts. And we want them to sit for part of every day. I think the pedicure should go. And I am sorry to say that. I don’t want to choose her.”
As a result, the within -city report noted that the jury agreed to adjust their timetable for consultation and to continue their discussions with a revised schedule from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM instead of the usual conclusion of 16:00.
The judge stated:
‘[The jurors] Proposed to deliberate tomorrow until 12.30, then the following days until 3.45 pm, Friday until 1 pm ”
The jury member’s request has led to mixed reactions from legal experts and within the crypto community.
Legal Analyst James Murphy, known as Metalawman, noted The irony of the situation and notes that Storm is confronted with the possibility of decades in prison for creating unchanging smart contract code, while one of his jury members is looking for leisure time for a birthday celebration and pedicure.
In the meantime, worries have also emerged about how this can influence the outcome of the test.
Aragon CEO Anthony Leutenegger warned that refusing the request of the jury member can lead to frustration, which may affect her decision in the case of storm.
He stated:
“Don’t allow her to influence her judgment, because it might make her angry. Can you imagine this level of subjective decision -making in someone’s life?”
Storm is confronted with accusations of conspiracy to carry out money laundering, to violate sanctions and to manage a company without a permit.
If convicted, he could get up to 45 years in prison for his alleged role in helping hackers and cyber criminals to wash more than $ 1 billion white using the privacy tool, Tornado Cash.
