DeSantis Offers 'Asylum' in Florida to Lone Holdout Juror After NBC10 Report

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday offered to provide "asylum" in his state to the unnamed juror who was the lone holdout in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, after an NBC10 Boston investigation detailed the juror's past allegations of domestic violence.

NBC10 Boston reported that the juror, who prevented a unanimous not-guilty finding for Clancy last week, was charged in 2021 with allegedly assaulting his then-wife in Brockton, Massachusetts. According to a police report cited by the station, the juror's then-13-year-old nephew called 911 saying he saw his uncle grab the woman by the throat and throw her into a dresser. That criminal charge was later dismissed and the couple divorced.

The station also said the same nephew obtained a restraining order against the juror last year, alleging the man threw him to the ground and punched him repeatedly. NBC10 reported the restraining order remained active while the man served on the Clancy jury and heard weeks of testimony. Housing Court records cited by the station indicate the juror had not paid rent since March and that his landlord secured a judgment for more than $12,000 while jury deliberations were underway.

Responding on X, Gov. DeSantis blasted NBC10's coverage as an attempt to "smear that juror, whose identity should be protected," calling the reporting "another low for legacy media." He added that if the juror faces harassment, "Florida will provide asylum."

Trial outcome and context: Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial on Sept. 4 after the 12-member jury—nine women and three men—reported it was deadlocked, 11-1, on whether Clancy, 36, should be found not criminally responsible by reason of mental illness. Clancy's defense argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she strangled her three children—Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and eight-month-old Callan—at the family's Duxbury home in January 2023.

NBC10 Boston's chief legal analyst Michael Coyne told the station the juror's history should have surfaced during vetting, noting that Massachusetts jury questionnaires ask potential jurors about arrests, criminal charges and court orders. The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office and Clancy's defense team declined to comment to the station. Prosecutors have not said whether they will retry the case; a court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29.

Note: Reporting is based on NBC10 Boston's investigation and court records cited by the station. Some allegations in the reporting, including the 2021 assault charge, were later dismissed.