Lindsay Clancy's Defense Appeals Mistrial Decision to Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

<p>Lindsey Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, is appealing to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court after a judge prepared to declare a mistrial in the triple-murder case due to a deadlocked jury. The jury indicated it could not reach a verdict.</p><p>Judge William Sullivan has given Reddington one hour to file an emergency stay before officially declaring a mistrial. The appeal is expected to be reviewed by a single justice on the state’s Supreme Judicial Court.</p><p>The specific legal argument Reddington intends to use to prevent the mistrial has not been disclosed.</p><p>The jury, consisting of nine women and three men, submitted a note stating, “With a heavy heart we report we cannot come to a unanimous decision.” They have deliberated for approximately 38 hours.</p><p>The defense believes the jury is split 11-1, with one male juror not agreeing to find Clancy not guilty by reason of insanity. The prosecution has requested that Judge Sullivan declare a mistrial. Earlier, Sullivan denied Reddington’s request to remove the lone holdout juror. The defense also mentioned that two notes from the jury claimed the holdout was not adhering to the law.</p><p>Reddington has argued that Sullivan’s reasonable doubt instructions were insufficient, leading to a frustrated response from the judge. Sullivan remarked, “What do you want me to do? Get a brass band? I read the instruction as written by the [Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court]. The fact that I perhaps didn’t give it my full inflection, I’m sorry about that. I’m not an actor. I’ve just given the instructions.”</p><p>Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, has admitted to strangling her three children with exercise bands in 2023 at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Her defense claims that she was not criminally responsible for her actions due to postpartum psychosis.</p><p>If a mistrial is declared, Clancy is expected to remain in a state-run psychiatric hospital, leaving the criminal case unresolved and potentially leading to another trial.</p>