The judge overseeing the murder case against Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy has extended an order keeping jurors’ names and questionnaires private, citing the intense and divisive public attention surrounding the trial.
Judge William Sullivan signed the order Tuesday, preventing the public from accessing the jury list and questionnaires. Attorneys involved in the case may still be permitted to access the records.
Clancy is charged in connection with the deaths of her three young children.
In his ruling, Sullivan said the jury materials do not constitute a “public record” under Massachusetts law. He also noted that while some jurors have chosen to speak publicly following the trial, most have remained anonymous.
Sullivan said releasing the information could pose an immediate risk to jurors and potentially affect the integrity of their service.
“The Court concludes that there is a risk of immediate and irreparable injury” if the records are released to the public at this time, Sullivan wrote. He also cited a “real and present risk” of personal harm to jurors.
The impoundment order will remain in effect until the court determines otherwise.
The ruling does not immediately affect efforts by Clancy’s defense attorneys to investigate the holdout juror following the mistrial. It also does not prevent individual jurors from voluntarily identifying themselves or speaking publicly about the case.
The trial ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, leaving the case unresolved as attorneys consider the next stages of the proceedings.
