Judge Denies Request to Question Holdout Juror in Clancy Case
Judge William F. Sullivan denied Lindsay Clancy's bid for an evidentiary hearing on the holdout juror. That juror's refusal to acquit forced a mistrial in September.
- 11 jurors backed acquittal by reason of insanity; Michael Desronvil did not.
- 7 days of deliberation ended in a mistrial on Sept. 4.
- The defense alleged he lied in jury selection and misused his cellphone.
- Sullivan said post-mistrial information cannot challenge the mistrial decision.
Why it matters: The defense hoped juror misconduct claims would bolster its push to dismiss the charges. Sullivan ruled the mistrial must be judged only on what was known when he declared it.
- Clancy admits strangling her three children but claims postpartum psychosis.
- Prosecutors allege the killings were premeditated.
How 7 sources split on this story
Center coverage, 1 sources: The center frames it as the latest turn in a public fight between the defense and a juror who has spoken out.
Left coverage, 2 sources: The left frames it as a procedural ruling, with detail on the judge's legal reasoning and the case's next steps.
Right coverage, 4 sources: The right frames it as a setback for Clancy's lawyer and stresses the juror's lone vote against acquittal.
What’s next: Sullivan will hear arguments Nov. 2 on dismissing the charges for double jeopardy.
- Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not decided whether to retry Clancy.
- Reduced charges of second-degree murder would allow Clancy to choose a bench trial.
- Will Sullivan find that retrying Clancy violates double jeopardy?
- Will the district attorney retry the case, and on what charges?
- Are the defense's allegations about the juror's background accurate?
