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By Alice Gibbs
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The attorney for Michael Desronvil, the lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, has told Fox News that he believes Clancy's lawyer, Kevin Reddington, had "lost his mind."
"I believe that ever since the moment he learned that Michael was not going to side with him, I believe that Kevin Reddington lost his mind," attorney Edward Paltzik told Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany in an interview that aired on Monday morning**.**
Paltzik added that he "100 percent" plans to file a complaint against Reddington, adding that: "Kevin Reddington's conduct is not consistent with the standards of professionalism that we expect from members of the bar. It is inconsistent with what we expect for members of the bar."
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Paltzik also accused Reddington of undermining the jury system itself, saying the defense attorney was "clearly attacking the Sixth Amendment" and "clearly attacking the right to trial by jury."
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"He is off the rails," Paltzik said.
Lindsay Clancy admitted killing her three children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan, in January 2023.
Charged with three counts of first-degree murder, her defense claimed she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, excusing her from criminal responsibility.
But after more than five weeks of testimony and seven days of deliberations, the 12-member jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision and Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial.
It was revealed that the jury was locked 11-1, with one holdout jury member preventing a verdict by wanting to convict the mother. Later identified as Michael Desronvil, he has become a central figure in the already closely watched case.
Paltzik described Desronvil as a "courageous" and "heroic" juror who withstood substantial pressure during deliberations. He said Desronvil is a devout Catholic and private person who was simply carrying out his civic duty.
In an exclusive with the outlet, Desronvil said himself for the first time that "I know the whole focus has been on me, but we want to reel everything back and put the focus on the three angels...the ones that can't speak for themselves, the ones that can't defend themselves and the ones that can't fight the battles."
Desronvil thanked God for his Catholic faith, ability to love his daughter and for those who have supported him.
Newsweek reached out to Reddington and Paltzik via email for comment.
Holdout Juror Had 'Zero Doubt'
Last week Reddington asked the court in a motion to question Desronvil over his allegedly having used a cellphone during deliberations, his truthfulness when jurors were questioned a day prior to the trial’s end and his truthfulness on a questionnaire filled out by jurors before the trial had begun.
Reddington has since dubbed Desronvil an "obstructionist juror" and suggested that he failed to properly apply the law of reasonable doubt.
Paltzik suggested Reddington's actions were motivated by disappointment over the trial's outcome.
"He was one vote away from winning a trial that would have been the capstone of his career and he didn't get it, and he lost his mind because of it," Paltzik said.
He also spoke out about Reddington’s comments toward his client after the trial in the Fox interview, arguing that attempts to investigate the holdout juror could create a "nightmarish precedent" that discourages jurors from performing their civic duty out of fear of reprisals.
"If you're an officer of the court and you have taken an oath to uphold the United States' Constitution, you've sworn to defend the Constitution," Paltzik added. "Then you get out there right after a trial, and you attack a juror. But then, you don't stop. You continue to attack the juror, you're attacking the jurors outside the courtroom, inside the courtroom. Everywhere. Kevin Reddington is not behaving rationally anymore."
He added that claims his client harbored reasonable doubt during deliberations are false.
"Michael had zero doubt. No doubt," Paltzik said.
When asked if he had any evidence to back up this position, the attorney added that there was "a lot of evidence. A mountain of evidence."
Who Is Michael Desronvil?
Desronvil, 48, from Massachusetts, was the lone holdout juror in Clancy's trial. Identified earlier this month, he gained attention after the mistrial was called as several of his fellow jurors publicly criticized his approach to deliberations.
In interviews after the trial, some of the jurors said they believed Desronvil was unwilling to adequately consider their arguments.
Jury forewoman Roni Carlson told NBC10 Boston that Desronvil at one stage acknowledged having reasonable doubt, but that he still refused to agree that Clancy should be found not criminally responsible.
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Fellow juror Paula Devlin described Desronvil as "very arrogant" during deliberations and said other jurors repeatedly went through medical and toxicology evidence in an effort to address his concerns.
In a statement provided to Newsweek via his lawyer, Desronvil previously said: "I didn’t have any doubts. As I tried to explain different possible theories during deliberation, I kept getting cut off as if I had doubts based on the evidence present."
Desronvil has received a barrage of attention from the public for his role in the high-profile case. His lawyer previously said that he is "presently safe and sound at an undisclosed secure location in a rural area of Northern New England."
In the weeks following the trial an online fundraiser to support Desronvil collected more than $350,000.
Court records show that in September of 2021, Desronvil faced a criminal charge for allegedly assaulting his then-wife. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were dismissed in December 2021, meaning Desronvil was not convicted over the allegations.
Asked about the allegation, Paltzik said: "Every single allegation against Michael is false, fabricated, never happened. Categorically false. It just didn't happen."
Who Is Kevin Reddington?
Reddington, 75, is a criminal defense attorney who has represented clients in Massachusetts for 50 years.
He has enjoyed "sustained recognition" for his courtroom performance and professional standing. In 1996 he became a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and was later named among Massachusetts Super Lawyers from 2004 through last year.
Reddington has been thrust into the spotlight while defending Clancy. He has called the 36-year-old’s case "tragic."
What Happens Next in Lindsay Clancy Case?
As a result of the mistrial, Clancy’s case remains unresolved and charges against her are still pending.
The next step is a status hearing, set to take place on September 29 in Plymouth Superior Court before Sullivan.
Reddington, has filed a renewed motion asking Sullivan to enter a required finding of not guilty.
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He has also said he intends to argue that another prosecution should be barred on double-jeopardy grounds.
Paltzik dismissed both the double-jeopardy argument and Reddington’s request to investigate Desronvil's conduct during deliberations.
"Kevin Reddington's motions don't even have one percent merit," Paltzik said.
Looking ahead to Tuesday's hearing, Paltzik predicted Reddington's motions would fail.
"Those motions should be denied because 11-1 is not 12-0," he said. "Reddington doesn't know how to do math."
Clancy remains in custody and is receiving psychiatric treatment at Tewksbury State Hospital, Massachusetts.
Update 09/28/26 08:55 and 09:53 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes, Tony Phillips, Anna Commander and Edward T. Cummins
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