Jury Deadlock in Roman Storm Trial Prompts Allen Charge

According to Cointelegraph, after four days of deliberations, jurors in the Roman Storm trial informed the court that they remain deadlocked on certain charges. This situation led to the implementation of an Allen charge, a judicial instruction designed to encourage jurors to re-evaluate their positions and strive for a unanimous decision. The use of an Allen charge, often referred to as a 'dynamite charge,' is a strategic move to prevent a mistrial by urging jurors to continue discussions and attempt to reach a consensus. Court reports from Wednesday, provided by Inner City Press, reveal that Storm’s attorney, Brian Klein, opposed the Allen charge. Klein argued that the jury had already indicated the improbability of reaching a unanimous verdict and suggested that the court should consider accepting a partial verdict instead. However, Judge Katherine Polk Failla sided with the prosecution, opting to push for further deliberations rather than settling for a partial verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thane Arad supported this decision, stating, 'Let’s cross that bridge when we get there.' This decision prolongs the trial and postpones the possibility of a mistrial, while also underscoring the jury's significant disagreements over crucial elements of the government's case. Roman Storm, co-founder of the Ethereum-based mixer Tornado Cash, faces accusations of conspiring to launder over $1 billion in illicit funds, including money linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group hackers. Prosecutors allege that Storm actively promoted Tornado Cash to criminals and disregarded warnings about its potential misuse. In contrast, the defense argues that Storm merely wrote open-source code and had no control over its application, raising important questions about the liability of software developers in decentralized systems. The outcome of this trial could have far-reaching implications for crypto developers, particularly concerning the liability boundaries associated with creating decentralized software. If Storm is convicted on all charges and receives the maximum penalties, he could face up to 45 years in prison.