Judge Orders Roman Storm Jury to Resume Deliberations Amid Deadlock

After days of deadlocked deliberations, a federal judge has urged the jury in the Roman Storm trial to continue discussions and strive for a unanimous verdict, signaling increasing judicial frustration with the prolonged stalemate. The jurors had previously informed the court they remained divided on key charges, prompting the judge to issue an Allen charge—also known as a “dynamite charge”—a procedural tool used to encourage further consensus among jurors [1].

The charge instructs the jury to re-examine their positions and consider the possibility of changing their votes to achieve a unanimous agreement. This step marks a significant escalation in the trial process, as the judge has opted to push for resolution rather than accept a partial verdict [1]. Storm’s defense, represented by Brian Klein, had previously argued that a partial verdict should be considered given the apparent irreconcilable differences among jurors. However, the court sided with prosecutors, who expressed a preference to continue deliberations before deciding on alternative measures [1].

This development underscores the deep divisions within the jury over critical aspects of the case. Roman Storm, co-founder of the Ethereum-based mixer Tornado Cash, is accused of conspiring to facilitate the laundering of over $1 billion in illicit funds, including money tied to North Korea’s Lazarus Group hackers. Prosecutors claim Storm actively promoted the tool to criminal users and ignored warnings about its potential for misuse. In contrast, the defense argues that Storm developed open-source code and was not responsible for how others chose to use it, raising broader questions about liability for developers in decentralized systems [1].

The case has drawn widespread attention due to its potential implications for the legal responsibilities of software developers in the crypto space. If found guilty on all charges and given the maximum sentence, Storm could face up to 45 years in prison [1]. The outcome could establish a legal precedent for how courts treat the actions of individuals who create or maintain decentralized technologies, particularly those with known misuse risks.

The judge’s decision to continue deliberations reflects the high stakes involved and the broader significance of the trial in shaping regulatory approaches to blockchain and decentralized finance. As the jury reconvenes, the pressure is mounting for a resolution, with both sides of the case watching closely for any indication of a potential verdict [1].

Sources:

[1] Judge pushes jury to end Storm trial after days of gridlock (https://khabarpu.com/b.htm?u=Judge-pushes-jury-to-end-Storm-trial-after-days-of-gridlock_Y29pbnRlbGVncmFwaC5jb20vbmV3cy9qdWRnZS1hbGxlbi1jaGFyZ2UtanVyeS1kZWFkbG9ja3Mtc3Rvcm0tdHJpYWw)

[2] BTCUSD - Bitcoin dip to $112K lacks whiff of altcoin summer (https://mx.advfn.com/bolsa-de-valores/COIN/BTCUSD/crypto-news/96569795/bitcoin-dip-to-112k-lacks-whiff-of-altcoin-summer)