Elizabeth Holmes Fights to Avoid Prison as Judge Rules on Freedom Request in April

Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes returned to court on Tuesday in an attempt to avoid prison time for charges of fraud and conspiracy. Holmes reportedly looked nervous as she arrived in court just weeks after giving birth to a child. She is facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Holmes is desperate to avoid prison, according to a BBC report. Her lawyers have argued that putting her behind bars would cause “irreparable harm” to her mental health. They have also requested a delay in sentencing to accommodate a mental health evaluation.

A judge is expected to rule in April on Holmes’ request to delay her prison sentence, Yahoo Finance reported. Holmes’ lawyers argue that her sentence should be delayed so that she can be evaluated by a mental health professional to determine if she suffers from a mental illness.

Holmes’ legal troubles stem from her time as CEO of diagnostic company Theranos. The company, which claimed to be able to test for a wide range of medical conditions with just a small amount of blood, was later revealed to be a fraud. Holmes and her partner, Sunny Balwani, were charged with defrauding investors and patients out of millions of dollars.

Holmes’ trial is set to begin in July, NPR reported. If her request for a delay in her prison sentence is denied, she could be sent to prison before her trial begins.