The juror at the center of Tuesday’s Lindsay Clancy hearing will not be in the courtroom. Neither will his lawyer. Instead, according to Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany, the holdout juror, Michael Desronvil, will be represented by local counsel his lawyer has hired, a Massachusetts lawyer who, unlike the lawyer who has been doing the talking, can actually stand up in a Massachusetts court.
That detail came out Monday morning, September 28, 2026, on Fox & Friends, in an interview McEnany conducted with the juror’s lawyer, Edward Paltzik, and in her report afterward. We reviewed and transcribed the video clips Fox News posted. Here is what was said, and what it changes for Tuesday.
What McEnany reported
In a clip Fox News posted Monday, McEnany said she had spoken directly with Desronvil and with Paltzik, and relayed:
- “He said he has no desire to be a part of the circus.”
- “Michael will not be at court tomorrow due to safety considerations. He is not the defendant.”
- “He will be represented through local counsel Ed has hired.”
- Paltzik himself will also not attend, saying he is “focused on working with Michael to protect his safety.”
McEnany also relayed Paltzik’s view that Reddington “has turned this into a circus” and practices law as if it were “pro wrestling,” and cited Reddington’s comment to the district attorney, “I crushed your case.”
“100%”: the bar complaint
Asked whether he intends to file a bar complaint against Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, Paltzik answered: “100%.” He said Reddington’s “conduct is not consistent with the standards of professionalism that we expect from members of the bar,” and that after taking an oath to uphold the Constitution, Reddington went out “right after a trial and you attack a juror. But then you don’t stop.” He added: “Kevin Reddington is not behaving rationally anymore.”
Asked about defamation suits, Paltzik said “it’s a bit early to talk about lawsuits.”
A bar complaint is confidential when filed. As we explained when the juror first said he would file one, bar counsel investigates privately, and a complaint becomes public only if bar counsel files a formal petition for discipline. Reddington already faces a separate, unrelated four-count petition filed by bar counsel before the Clancy trial.
What Reddington’s motion actually asks for
On air, McEnany read from Reddington’s juror-inquiry motion, which refers to the holdout as “Juror Doe.” According to her reading, the motion asks that the juror “deliver the mobile telephone carried into the jury room” during deliberations “to a neutral examiner,” that the phone be held for 48 hours, and that the juror then be brought into court to be examined “on the record with counsel present.”
Paltzik’s response: “I find it richly ironic that after Kevin Reddington outed Michael … now all of a sudden he’s calling him John Doe after the damage was already done.” He called the request a “nightmarish precedent” and asked, “what would happen next time if it’s the district attorney that didn’t get his way because of a holdout juror?”
Why the local lawyer matters more than the absence
Over the weekend we explained that Paltzik, who is not a member of the Massachusetts bar, could not file anything in the case himself. Under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:15, a motion to admit an out-of-state lawyer “shall be made by a member of the bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Hiring local counsel solves that. A Massachusetts lawyer can file an appearance for the juror today.
It does not solve the other problem. The juror is still not a party to Commonwealth v. Clancy. His lawyer can ask Judge William Sullivan for leave to be heard on the narrow question of his own phone, records and testimony, and can move to quash if a subpoena issues. The judge can allow that or not. The juror’s lawyer cannot argue the Rule 25 motion or the double jeopardy motion, which are between Clancy and the Commonwealth.
In practical terms, Tuesday may be the first time anyone speaks for the juror inside the courtroom rather than on television.
What else Paltzik said
- On his client’s vote: Desronvil had “zero doubt” and “a mountain of evidence,” and “made that decision based on evidence.”
- On his background: Paltzik said Desronvil is “very proud of his Haitian heritage” and “proud to be a citizen of the United States of America,” and that his love of the country “is one reason why he did the right thing.”
- On allegations about his past: Asked by McEnany about reported allegations of domestic violence, a restraining order and a dismissed 2021 charge, Paltzik said “every single allegation against Michael is false, fabricated, never happened.” Why that denial does not answer the legal question the judge faces.
Tuesday
Clancy is due in Plymouth Superior Court at 9 a.m. Tuesday, September 29, before Judge Sullivan. WCVB reported that the judge ordered Tewksbury State Hospital to transport her. Three defense motions are pending: the renewed motion for a required finding under Rule 25, the double jeopardy motion to dismiss, and the juror-inquiry motion. District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not said whether he will retry the case.
Frequently asked questions
Will the Clancy holdout juror be at Tuesday’s hearing?
No. Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany reported on September 28, 2026, after speaking with Michael Desronvil and his lawyer, that he will not attend “due to safety considerations” and will be represented through local counsel.
Is the holdout juror’s lawyer filing a bar complaint against Kevin Reddington?
Edward Paltzik told Fox News “100%” when asked if he intends to file one. A bar complaint is confidential and becomes public only if bar counsel files a petition for discipline.
What does Reddington’s juror motion ask for?
According to a reading on Fox & Friends, that the juror give the phone he carried into the jury room to a neutral examiner for 48 hours and then be examined in court on the record with counsel present. The supporting memorandum and exhibits are impounded.
Why does the juror need local counsel?
Edward Paltzik is not a member of the Massachusetts bar. Under SJC Rule 3:15, only a Massachusetts lawyer can move to admit an out-of-state lawyer, and a Massachusetts lawyer can appear directly.
Sources: Fox News video clips of Kayleigh McEnany’s interview with Edward Paltzik and her report, posted to X by @FoxNews on September 28, 2026, which we transcribed; quotations are from those clips. WCVB, September 28, 2026 (transport order). Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:15 read at mass.gov. The local lawyer’s identity had not been reported. Reddington’s motion memorandum is impounded and was not reviewed. General information about Massachusetts law, not legal advice.