Doxing to death threats to six-figure fundraiser, jurors face intense public scrutiny

From doxing to death threats to a six-figure fundraiser, jurors in high-profile cases face intense public scrutiny in a social-media-driven world.

The judge in the Lindsay Clancy triple murder case impounded the names of the jurors earlier this month, citing their safety. But that didn’t stop online leaks.

“Jury service can often be traumatic. We have people that have to make very difficult decisions that impact people’s lives,” said Pierre Bergeron, retired judge on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals and professor at Centre College. “A lot of people already are reticent to do their civic duty because sometimes it’s inconvenient, sometimes they don’t get paid very much. And ultimately, the more the jurors are targeted, the less willing people are going to be to serve as jurors.”

Clancy, a Duxbury mom charged with killing her three young children, remains in custody in psychiatric treatment after her case ended in a mistrial.

Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, had asked the judge to remove a holdout juror, citing a note from the foreperson claiming the holdout was refusing to apply reasonable doubt. The judge denied Reddington’s request.

An online fundraiser on GiveSendGo (Stand With the Juror | GiveSendGo) called “Stand with the Juror” had raised more than $150,000 Monday night for the lone juror whose apparent identity has been leaked by bloggers, some calling the juror a hero.

“We definitely want to ensure that our jurors are completely unbiased as they come into the courtroom, and we don’t want them thinking they’re going to be rewarded or punished based on my decision,” said Bergeron, co-author of “The Jury’s Out: The Fight to Save the American Legal System.”

The book highlights the disappearing role of the jury with only one percent of cases filed in court going to jury trial.

“Jury service is really a rewarding experience for many people,” Bergeron said. “It helps restore their faith in our democracy, our court system, and we want to encourage that service.”

For other intensely public cases, like that of Karen Read, who was acquitted of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe, Bergeron says jurors must avoid news updates on their phones and the influence of a sea of pink shirts outside court in support of the defendant.

“It’s also very difficult in the social media age where everyone is accustomed to looking at their smart phones to get jurors to not look at their phones and not look at coverage of the case,” Bergeron said.

Despite the challenges in this digital age, Bergerson said he has faith in the jury system.

“We have a lot of people who haven’t sat in that [juror’s] chair, critiquing the decisions of those who have,” Bergeron said. “And I think we just need to take a moment and recognize it’s difficult work and we weren’t there. We didn’t see every piece of evidence that came into the trial.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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