CBS News anchor Gayle King has drawn criticism for her questioning of a juror in the Lindsay Clancy trial, specifically her focus on the race of a holdout juror. During an interview with Paula Devlin, one of the nine female jurors on the deadlocked panel, King inquired about the identity of a juror of color.
"Was the person of color a woman or a man?" King asked Devlin. Upon learning the juror was a Black man, King expressed surprise, stating, "I have to sit with that for just a second." The exchange has been interpreted by some as indicative of media bias.
Devlin admitted that one panelist was "a person of color." When King pressed for more details, Devlin identified the juror as a man. King then asked if it was a Black man, to which Devlin responded affirmatively.
King's reaction, described as "Woah," and her subsequent comment about needing a moment to process the information, led to accusations that she had preconceived notions about the jury's composition. Critics suggest King may have expected the holdout juror to fit a particular demographic profile.
Further details about the juror emerged later, reportedly identifying him as a man from Haiti in his 40s, employed in pest control. Local reports also indicated allegations of domestic violence and an active restraining order against him. These details have raised questions about whether he should have been excluded from the jury if he answered juror questionnaires dishonestly.
In a separate but related discussion, an audience member on Oprah Winfrey's show, which also addressed the Clancy mistrial, suggested that the passion for addressing cases like Clancy's should extend to women of color in similar situations who may lack the same access and education. This comment also faced criticism for bringing race into the discussion of the trial.
The Lindsay Clancy case involved a triple murder trial. The jury was deadlocked, leading to a mistrial. Clancy was accused of strangling her three young children.