Judge Halts Defense Bid to Probe Juror in Clancy Mistrial Case

A judge has blocked an attempt by the defense to investigate a juror who was the sole holdout in the recent mistrial of Lindsay Clancy, who faces triple-murder charges. Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, had sought an evidentiary hearing to present evidence that the juror, Michael P. Desronvil, allegedly lied on his jury questionnaire and used his cellphone during deliberations.

However, Judge William F. Sullivan ruled on Wednesday that the circumstances of the mistrial can only be evaluated based on the information that was available at the time the mistrial was declared. The judge further stipulated that exploring the juror's reasoning or the jury's internal deliberations would be inappropriate.

Reddington's motion to dismiss the charges against Clancy remains pending. Both the prosecution and the defense are scheduled to present arguments on this motion on November 2.

In September, a mistrial was declared in Clancy's case after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Clancy, a former nurse, is accused of killing her three young children in their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home in January 2023. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Her defense has argued that she was suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis at the time of the incident.