Judge Denies Clancy Request to Investigate Holdout Juror

A Massachusetts judge denied Lindsay Clancy’s request for an evidentiary hearing into allegations about the juror whose vote left her murder trial deadlocked, ruling that information discovered after the mistrial cannot be used to challenge the decision to declare it. Judge William Sullivan issued the ruling October 21. Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, had sought to question Michael Desronvil about allegations that he lied on his jury questionnaire and used a cellphone during deliberations. Those claims have not been established by the court. Sullivan denied the request without holding the hearing. Sullivan said the mistrial must be assessed based on what was known when he declared it. The defense had not raised concerns about Desronvil’s questionnaire answers or cellphone use before the mistrial, and the judge said information that emerged afterward was not relevant to whether a mistrial was necessary at the time. The judge also rejected further inquiry into the juror’s ability to follow instructions or his reasoning during deliberations. He said courts must not probe a juror’s subjective thought process or the jury’s internal discussions. Sullivan further rejected the...