Fundraiser for Lindsay Clancy holdout juror hits $100K
A fundraiser set up for the Lindsay Clancy hold out juror has topped $100,000 (around £73,800) in donations.
After four weeks of testimony and almost 40 hours of deliberations the Clancy case was declared a mistrial.
During deliberations, there were dramatic scenes in court when the jury told Judge William Sullivan that they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict due to one juror and defence lawyer Kevin Reddington called for him to be removed for ‘refusing to listen to the law’.
The judge denied the motion to have him removed and eventually declared a mistrial after the jury of nine women and three men were able to agree upon a verdict.
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After the mistrial was announced, several jurors have come forward to share details on what went on during deliberations, with one claiming the holdout juror admitted to having ‘reasonable doubt’ but still refused to agree with a not-guilty by reason of insanity verdict.
The juror, who was the foreperson at the trial, told NBC10: “He admitted he had reasonable doubt and I started filling out the forms.
“I was so excited. There were three forms I had to fill out and I started filling them out. I wrote my signature on each one and then he said, ‘But I’m still not going say that she’s not guilty by reason of insanity.’”
One of the jurors branded the holdout as ‘arrogant’ and said he refused to talk to other jury members.
A third juror on the trial, Nick Dargie, claimed that he couldn’t provide ‘a single piece of evidence or witness testimony that he used to prove why he was thinking the way he was’.
It’s since been reported by NBC10 that the holdout juror has a history of allegations of domestic violence and an active restraining order against him.
They report the juror was charged in 2021 for allegedly assaulting his wife at the time, with his nephew claiming that he grabbed her by the throat and threw her.
The media storm around the juror led to Florida governor Ron DeSantis saying the man can claim ‘asylum’ in his state.
Meanwhile, someone has set up a fundraising page with a target of $100,000 that has, at the time of writing, had $100,399 (£74,200) in donations.
The fundraiser, titled Stand With the Juror, defends the juror and said it was ‘not letting this slide’.
A statement on the GiveSendGo page said the money will be used: “If they come for him, and they will, this is to cover security, lawyers, and lost work.”
The fundraiser has received thousands of donations as well as messages showing support for the unnamed juror.
What happens now in the Clancy case?
After a mistrial is declared, the case essentially goes back to the same status it was at before the trial began, meaning Clancy is charged with three-counts of murder and held at a psychiatric facility.
Prosecutors now have a couple of options open to them.
The most likely option in this case is that prosecutors will bring a new trial with a different jury.
They could also offer a plea deal to Clancy.
Secondly, prosecutors could choose not to retry the case.
The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for 29 September, prosecutors have not yet indicated whether or not they will re-try the case.
Last week, Clancy’s defence lawyer filed a motion to have her found not guilty and to avoid a second trial.
Claire Reid