Judge denies defense request to question holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy trial

A Massachusetts judge has rejected a motion by Lindsay Clancy’s defense team to hold an evidentiary hearing regarding the lone holdout juror whose refusal to acquit led to a mistrial.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington had sought to examine whether juror Michael Desronvil misled the court during jury selection by concealing a previous arrest related to domestic violence. The defense argued that such information, if disclosed, would have disqualified him from service. However, Judge William Sullivan ruled that evidence discovered after the mistrial was declared cannot be used to challenge the necessity of that decision, stating that the assessment of manifest necessity is based on what was known at the time of the ruling.

Clancy admitted to killing her three children in January 2023. Her defense maintains she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors argue the murders were premeditated. While the request to question the juror was denied, the judge has not yet ruled on a motion to dismiss the murder charges based on double-jeopardy grounds. Arguments for that motion are scheduled for November 2.