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A Massachusetts judge has denied a request from Lindsay Clancy's attorneys to question the holdout juror who forced a mistrial in her triple-murder case. Judge William Sullivan stated that "any further judicial inquiry is inappropriate," emphasizing that the court must not delve into a juror's subjective reasoning or the jury's deliberative process.
Clancy, who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder charges related to the deaths of her three children, faced a mistrial after a seven-week trial when the jury was split 11-1 in favor of finding her not guilty. The holdout juror, identified as Michael Desronvil, has since publicly stated that he believed Clancy was guilty, citing her "methodical" actions during the incident.
Defense attorneys had sought to investigate whether Desronvil lied on his jury questionnaire or failed to follow instructions during deliberations. However, Sullivan concluded that any issues regarding the juror that emerged after the mistrial are "simply not relevant."
The case remains unresolved, with Clancy due to appear in court on November 2 for the next hearing. The Plymouth District Attorney has not yet announced whether the case will be retried.
ABC News and the Boston Herald reported on the judge's decision, highlighting the legal challenges surrounding the case and the defense's efforts to challenge the juror's impartiality.