Defense Attorney Seeks Inquiry Into Juror's Phone Use in Massachusetts Murder Trial

A defense lawyer for Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother charged with the murders of her three children, has filed a motion requesting the court to review the mobile phone activity of an unidentified juror during deliberations. The request also seeks verification of the juror’s answers on selection questionnaires.

Clancy’s trial ended in a mistrial earlier this month when the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. The defense argues that the juror’s conduct may have influenced the outcome and asks the judge to examine calls and texts made between 08:00 and 16:30 on each day the jury deliberated.

The motion also calls for an assessment of the juror’s truthfulness during the selection process. In a separate filing, the attorney seeks dismissal of the charges against Clancy, though prosecutors have not indicated whether a retrial will be pursued.

Michael Desronvil, the sole juror who voted for a guilty verdict, has defended his position, stating there was sufficient evidence that Clancy knowingly committed the killings. A juror forewoman previously claimed Desronvil expressed reasonable doubt, a claim he denies.

Prosecutors maintain that Clancy deliberately arranged for her husband to leave the home before strangling the children, while her defense contends she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should be found not criminally responsible.

Edward Paltzik, representing the prosecution, described the defense’s request as an attack on the constitutional right to a fair trial, warning that such actions could undermine the Sixth Amendment. Several jurors later reported the panel was divided 11-1 in favor of a not-responsible verdict, with one juror saying his attempts to discuss alternative theories were repeatedly cut off.