Lindsay Clancy Trial Holdout Juror Defends Vote

A mistrial was declared in the Lindsay Clancy case, leading the holdout juror, Michael P. Desronvil, to issue a statement in defense of his decision. Criminal defense attorney Mercedes Colwin discussed the reasoning behind the juror’s stance and outlined the potential next steps for Massachusetts prosecutors, which might include a retrial or a negotiated plea deal as this notable legal case progresses.

Clancy’s legal representation is now calling for an investigation regarding the holdout juror, who was in favor of finding her guilty of murder related to the tragic deaths of her three young children.

Kevin Reddington, representing Clancy, has requested a Massachusetts judge to maintain records from all jurors, including both the 12 main jurors and the six alternates. This includes their questionnaires, surveillance video from outside the deliberation room, and sign-in sheets for the jurors’ cellphones.

Reddington is also asking for a “limited inquiry” into the holdout juror and for transparency about any potential background checks, particularly those resulting from a motion filed by Plymouth County prosecutors earlier this year related to prospective juror information.

Furthermore, he seeks the holdout’s juror questionnaire along with any extra filings, probation records, and access to what he refers to as “Juror Doe’s” record from the statewide domestic violence registry. There’s also a request for the judge to mandate that the prosecutors reveal any contact they may have had with the holdout since January 2021.

Reddington has also asked for phone records of the holdout during deliberation hours and for an independent review of his phone usage during that time.

Finally, he wants the holdout to be questioned about the accuracy of his responses in the juror questionnaire and his statements to the court on September 3, including whether he used a phone or external information during deliberations.

Clancy’s trial ended in a mistrial on September 4 after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision, with an 11-1 vote suggesting she should be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness. The defense claimed Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis and had sought help, yet this had not been effective.

In contrast, prosecutors argued that her actions were intentional, maintaining that she understood the wrongdoing of strangling her children sequentially with exercise bands.

The holdout juror remains referred to as “Juror Doe” under a court order that protects the identities of jurors involved in the case. Prosecutors have not yet indicated if they will pursue another trial for Clancy, who faces three counts of first-degree murder regarding the deaths of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months old.

Clancy’s attorney has filed a separate request to have the holdout’s vote overruled and have her declared not guilty, although experts believe such motions typically have a low success rate.