Holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy trial had domestic violence charge on record

The lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy murder mistrial faced a domestic violence charge in 2021, later dismissed. Legal analysts question whether he lied on his juror questionnaire.

Dismissed domestic violence charge clouds Lindsay Clancy mistrial juror

The lone holdout juror who prevented a verdict in the high-profile Lindsay Clancy murder trial was charged with domestic violence assault and battery in September 2021, according to records from the Brockton, Massachusetts, Police Department — as cbsnews.com reports.

According to the police report, the juror's 13-year-old nephew called 911 after witnessing an altercation between his uncle and aunt. The juror allegedly grabbed his wife by the throat and threw her into a dresser. He was subsequently charged with one count of domestic violence assault and battery and pleaded not guilty. The charge was later dismissed, court records show.

CBS News has not published the juror's name, as the court has not yet made the jury list public. The outlet contacted the juror and his family members for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

CBS News legal analyst Caroline Polisi identified the central legal question: whether the juror made false statements when completing his juror questionnaire during the selection process. "The test is whether he made purposeful misrepresentations during the jury selection process. If he did, that's a crime," Polisi said. She added, however, that "an arrest is not an automatic disqualification for serving on a jury."

The juror questionnaires are sealed as part of the official court record. Polisi said it is unlikely the public will learn whether misrepresentations were made "unless there is an official court-sanctioned inquiry."

On the question of impact, Polisi noted that the circumstances would typically provide grounds to undermine a guilty verdict. In this case, however, a mistrial has already been declared, leaving it unclear how the revelation will affect proceedings going forward.

Clancy admitted to killing her three children but contested criminal responsibility, with her defence citing evidence of mental illness. Several jurors and the defence attorney indicated the jury was split 11 to 1 in favour of finding her not criminally responsible.

Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial on 4 September after the jury reported being deadlocked on three separate occasions. District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not yet announced whether the state intends to retry Clancy. The next court hearing is scheduled for 29 September at Plymouth Superior Court.

Source: Google News MT