^^bbm
Given all EH's charges here were by the feds, I think this affected the strategy for both defendants Holmes and Balwani.
For example, we know that when both were first charged in 2018 by the SEC for security fraud, EH immediately settled w/o admitting wrongdoing and paid the fine-- while RSB appears to still be fighting the SEC's charge.
It was months after EH settled with SEC that the next round of federal indictments were announced. And when both were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the government sought to try EH/RSB together-- and fought hard against severing the cases.
The court ultimately approved severing the cases after EH's defense alerted she was going to accuse RSB and he was going to accuse EH.
IMO, the government needed these cases to go to trial more than the defendants, and where <Federal> plea deals* come from (initiated by) the prosecutor, not the defendant.
For EH, going to trial probably worked to her advantage given the max penalty for the charges by law was 20 years, and after the guilty verdict on 4/11 charges, the the prosecution sought EH sentenced to 15 years.
In other words, they would have never entertained a 5 year plea deal. JMO
ETA: *<Federal>