A lawyer for Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother accused in the deaths of her three young children, is seeking an investigation into the conduct of a lone juror who allegedly pushed for a murder conviction. The motion, filed by attorney Kevin Reddington, asks the court to question juror Michael Desronvil regarding his alleged use of a cellphone during deliberations and his truthfulness on pre-trial questionnaires and during juror questioning by the judge.
Using a cellphone during deliberations is prohibited in Massachusetts. Reddington requested that the court obtain records of Desronvil's calls and texts during the period the jury deliberated.
The trial resulted in a mistrial on September 4 after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict, despite days of deliberation. Reports indicate that 11 of the 12 jurors were prepared to acquit Clancy, believing she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time of the deaths. Prosecutors, however, argued that Clancy was aware of her actions.
Desronvil, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, stated through his lawyer that he had "didn’t have any doubts" about Clancy's guilt. Some jurors reportedly described him as inflexible in his stance.
Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will retry Clancy, who remains charged with murder and is currently held in a psychiatric hospital. In a separate motion, another of Clancy's attorneys, Martin Weinberg, argued that the judge should have replaced Desronvil with an alternate juror during deliberations, rather than declaring a mistrial. Weinberg contended that the court had other options and that a mistrial was not the only viable choice.
Clancy's defense team presented evidence during the trial that she had been suffering from worsening mental health issues following the birth of her youngest child. She had been discharged from a psychiatric hospital less than three weeks before the killings. A spokesperson for the Plymouth County District Attorney's office declined to comment on the motions.