--- title: "Holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy case hires former Trump attorney" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/holdout-juror-in-lindsay-clancy-case-hires-former-trump-attorney" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/holdout-juror-in-lindsay-clancy-case-hires-former-trump-attorney" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/holdout-juror-in-lindsay-clancy-case-hires-former-trump-attorney.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/holdout-juror-in-lindsay-clancy-case-hires-former-trump-attorney" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-19T20:05:17.485Z" source_reported: "2026-09-19T12:23:05.000Z" updated: "2026-09-19T20:05:17.485Z" trust_score: 88 critic_score: 85 hype_score: 32 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-19T20:00:18.648997+00:00" --- # Holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy case hires former Trump attorney *Michael P. Desronvil, the sole juror to dissent in the mistrial, has retained Edward Paltzik.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 88 of 100, higher is better. Trust 88: multiple named sources, specific figures, dates, and two independent full reports corroborate the story. - Craft 85 of 100, higher is better. Critic 85: includes direct quotes, clear facts, specific data, and notes unknown next steps. - Hype 32 of 100, lower is better. Hype 32: language is factual with mild emphasis; no clickbait or exaggerated headlines. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Juror Michael P. Desronvil, who was the sole dissenter in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, has hired attorney Edward Paltzik. - Paltzik, who previously represented Donald Trump, announced on social media that he is representing Desronvil. - Judge William F. Sullivan declared a mistrial on September 4 after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict, with the vote split 11-1. - Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million toward Donald Trump's future presidential library, a detail noted in reports concerning Paltzik's past representation of Trump. Michael P. Desronvil, the juror who prevented a unanimous verdict in the murder case against Lindsay Clancy, has hired attorney Edward Paltzik. Paltzik, who has previously represented Donald Trump, announced on social media that he is now representing Desronvil. Judge William F. Sullivan declared a mistrial on September 4 after the 12-person jury failed to reach a unanimous decision, with the vote standing at 11-1. Desronvil was the sole juror to favour convicting Clancy. Desronvil stated that he had no doubts about Clancy's guilt. He explained that during deliberations, he felt he was being cut off when trying to explain possible theories based on the evidence. According to Desronvil, the physical evidence and witness testimony presented by the prosecution were sufficient proof that Clancy knew what she was doing and had planned her actions. Clancy, 36, was charged with first-degree murder in the January 2023 deaths of her three children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, at their Massachusetts home. Her defence argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and lacked criminal responsibility, while prosecutors contended she acted deliberately. ## Disagreement on juror's motivation KUTV reported that Paltzik described Desronvil as "an American Hero and Champion of Justice" and stated that the juror "loves the United States of America," respects the Constitution, and supports President Donald J. Trump. Internewscast reported that legal scholar Mark Astor suggested Desronvil's decision to retain an attorney indicates he is prepared to "stand up for himself," possibly because his name and reputation were being "dragged through the mud" and he felt attacked. Internewscast also noted that Astor said the exposure from the jury duty threatens a system that relies on people being willing to serve. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports mention the $16 million payment Paramount Global agreed to make toward Donald Trump's future presidential library, a detail included in the centre-rated reports from KUTV and Internewscast concerning attorney Edward Paltzik's past representation of Trump. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 67% (4) 0 of 6 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-19T20:00:18.648997+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-19T20:15:32.071Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports led with the news that the holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy case had hired former Trump attorney Edward Paltzik. Both KUTV and Internewscast reported that Paltzik announced he was representing Michael P. Desronvil, the juror who caused the mistrial. They also reported that Judge William F. Sullivan declared the mistrial on September 4 due to the 11-1 jury vote. Both outlets included Desronvil's statement that he had "no doubts" about Clancy's guilt and felt he was cut off during deliberations. KUTV detailed Paltzik's previous representation of Trump in lawsuits against media companies, including Paramount Global's agreement to pay $16 million toward Trump's future presidential library. Internewscast also mentioned Paltzik's representation of Trump in lawsuits against The New York Times and ABC News, and noted Paramount Global's $16 million payment. Internewscast included comments from legal scholar Mark Astor regarding the juror's decision to hire an attorney. ### Right - The right-rated reports focused on the holdout juror hiring a former Trump attorney. WTVC, wfmd.com, nytimespost.com, and Fox News all stated that the juror, Michael P. Desronvil, retained Edward Paltzik, who previously represented Donald Trump. Several of these reports, including wfmd.com, nytimespost.com, and Fox News, highlighted that the attorney said the juror was being "dragged through the mud." Nytimespost.com and Internewscast (which is rated centre but included in the right-leaning digest reports) mentioned that a legal scholar suggested the move signals the juror is ready to "stand up for himself." **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 3 - high: 1 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [KUTV](https://kutv.com/news/nation-world/lindsay-clancy-holdout-juror-hires-former-trump-attorney-after-mistrial-edward-paltzik-michael-p-desronvil-murder-homicide-death-killed-children-dead-strangulation-exercise-bands-suicide-attempt-paralyzed-mental-health-postpartum-depression-psychosis) — Lindsay Clancy holdout juror hires former Trump attorney after mistrial - [WTVC](https://newschannel9.com/news/nation-world/lindsay-clancy-holdout-juror-hires-former-trump-attorney-after-mistrial-edward-paltzik-michael-p-desronvil-murder-homicide-death-killed-children-dead-strangulation-exercise-bands-suicide-attempt-paralyzed-mental-health-postpartum-depression-psychosis) — Lindsay Clancy holdout juror hires former Trump attorney after mistrial - [wfmd.com](https://wfmd.com/2026/09/19/clancy-holdout-juror-taps-former-trump-lawyer-to-fight-back-as-hes-dragged-through-the-mud-attorney) — Clancy holdout juror taps former Trump lawyer to fight back as he’s ‘dragged through the mud’: attorney - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/us/clancy-holdout-juror-hires-ex-trump-lawyer-to-fight-back) — Clancy Holdout Juror Hires Ex-Trump Lawyer to Fight Back - [nytimespost.com](https://nytimespost.com/clancy-holdout-juror-taps-former-trump-lawyer-to-fight-back-as-hes-dragged-through-the-mud-attorney) — Clancy holdout juror taps former Trump lawyer to fight back as he’s ‘dragged through the mud’: attorney - NEW YORK TIMES POST - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/us/clancy-holdout-juror-taps-former-trump-lawyer-fight-back-hes-dragged-through-mud-attorney) — Clancy holdout juror taps former Trump lawyer to fight back as he’s ‘dragged through the mud’: attorney ## Questions **Who is Michael P. Desronvil?** Michael P. Desronvil was the sole juror who did not agree with the other 11 in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy. His dissent led to a mistrial being declared by Judge William F. Sullivan on September 4. Desronvil has since hired attorney Edward Paltzik. **Why was a mistrial declared in the Lindsay Clancy case?** A mistrial was declared because the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. The vote was 11-1, with Michael P. Desronvil being the sole juror who favoured convicting Lindsay Clancy. Judge William F. Sullivan declared the mistrial on September 4. **Who is Edward Paltzik and why is he representing the juror?** Edward Paltzik is an attorney who previously represented Donald Trump. He announced on social media that he is representing Michael P. Desronvil, the holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy case. Paltzik has described Desronvil as an "American Hero and Champion of Justice." --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/holdout-juror-in-lindsay-clancy-case-hires-former-trump-attorney. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy case hires former Trump attorney", https://mediabias.news/politics/holdout-juror-in-lindsay-clancy-case-hires-former-trump-attorney