Judge Makes Decision in Lindsay Clancy Case Courtroom Erupts

Judge Sullivan individually questioned all 12 jurors and asked whether they could follow his legal instructions. Reddington filed an emergency motion this morning asking Judge Sullivan to prohibit any further private sidebar discussions in the case. The one-page filing asked Sullivan for a standing order requiring that the trial and all related proceedings be conducted in open court, rather than through private conversations at sidebar. That’s important because yesterday’s extraordinary juror controversy largely unfolded through sidebars that the public and livestream audience could not hear. Judge Refuses to Remove Juror There is also an important distinction about the alleged 11-1…

Clancy was brought to the sidebar in her wheelchair while the jurors were questioned. ABC reported that prosecutors and defense attorneys were visibly disagreeing about what was happening. After questioning the jurors individually, Sullivan brought the entire jury back and delivered another instruction concerning reasonable doubt.

In other words, Sullivan was unwilling to remove someone simply…Sullivan told them: “You are required to follow my instructions on the law as I gave them.” He reminded them that every defendant is presumed innocent and that prosecutors bear the burden of proving guilt. Sullivan told jurors, “I’ve told you that every person is presumed to be innocent until they are proved guilty and that the burden of proof is on the prosecutor.” The jury was then sent back to deliberate