The lone holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial is now being represented by attorney Edward Paltzik, who has publicly defended him after the mistrial brought intense attention to his role in the case.
Michael P. Desronvil, 48, was the only juror who did not support finding Clancy not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. The jury deadlocked 11-1 after roughly 38 hours of deliberations, leading Judge William Sullivan to declare a mistrial on September 4.
Paltzik announced on September 17 that he was representing Desronvil and said the juror was “safe and sound” at an undisclosed secure location in rural Northern New England. He also described Desronvil as an “American Hero” and “Champion of Justice.”
In the same statement, Paltzik said Desronvil supports President Donald Trump and described him as someone who values the Constitution, liberty and what the attorney called “common-sense.” Those political views were presented by Paltzik as part of his description of his client.
The lawyer’s comments came after Desronvil became the focus of public attention following the mistrial. Several other jurors have spoken publicly about the deliberations and have disputed aspects of his account of what happened in the jury room. Desronvil has separately said he did not have doubts about the prosecution’s case and believed the evidence showed Clancy knew what she was doing and had planned the killings.
Clancy admitted killing her three children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — in January 2023. Her defense argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and therefore was not criminally responsible. Prosecutors argued that she acted intentionally and understood what she was doing.
Paltzik also criticized what he described as attacks against Desronvil and said he planned to hold accountable those who had “viciously attacked” his client. He later said neither he nor Desronvil would give interviews for now, explaining that their focus was on Desronvil’s safety and well-being.
Paltzik previously represented Trump in a lawsuit against CBS over a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. That case was settled for $16 million last year, according to PEOPLE.
The Lindsay Clancy case itself remains unresolved after the mistrial. Plymouth County prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek a new trial, and Clancy remains in custody as the legal process continues.