Judge Denies Defense Request to Examine Holdout Juror’s Phone
A Massachusetts judge ruled that the juror who alone voted to convict Lindsay Clancy for the murder of her three children will not have his phone scrutinized, nor will he face any inquiry from her defense team. This decision was made by Judge William Sullivan on Wednesday.
Judge Sullivan rejected a motion by Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, for an evidentiary hearing. He noted that any evidence suggesting the juror, identified as Michael Desronvil, should be dismissed came to light only after a mistrial was declared, rendering it irrelevant under existing court rules.
According to the judge, the defense had not raised concerns about the juror lying on his questionnaire before the mistrial was announced; rather, these claims emerged through media channels. Sullivan articulated that information disclosed after the trial cannot impugn the jury’s initial decision to declare a mistrial as necessary. He also pointed out that Reddington’s suggestion about potential cellphone misuse by the juror arose after the mistrial was declared.
In his ruling, Sullivan emphasized that further examination of the holdout juror would violate court mandates, which prevent delving into a juror’s thought processes or interactions within the jury. He stated that such investigations could disrupt the integrity of the deliberative process.
Desronvil, speaking to media last week, reiterated his stance of not yielding to the other eleven jurors, who believed Clancy should be found not criminally responsible due to postpartum psychosis.
He referred to Clancy’s deceased children as “The Three Angels” — Cora, five; Dawson, three; and Callan, eight months old.
Desronvil rejected accusations of lying during jury selection and maintained that cellphones were only used during breaks. He further disputed claims from fellow jurors that he disregarded reasonable doubts during deliberations.
Reddington has requested the preservation of records from all jurors, including their questionnaires and video surveillance from the courthouse hallway during deliberations.
Desronvil has specifically requested to have his phone examined for usage during deliberation hours, claiming the devices were only used during breaks. Clancy is set to return to court on November 2.
