continued Wednesday in Massachusetts, though testimony for the day ended earlier than expected.
asserted
testimony → continue → day
The defense is now expected to call one more witness Thursday before potentially resting its case and giving the prosecution an opportunity to call rebuttal witnesses.
asserted
defense → expect → witnesses
A forensic psychologist who testified that Clancy said she heard a voice ordering her to kill her children completed his cross-examination to start the day.
asserted
voice → testify → day
Then the judge later ruled that a TikTok user who previously worked at McLean Hospital will not be allowed to testify in front of the jury.
asserted
who → rule → jury
Another full day of testimony was expected in Plymouth Superior Court.
asserted
day → expect → Court
But after the lunch break, Judge William Sullivan told jurors that they were dismissed for the day "due to an unforeseen circumstance."
asserted
they → tell → circumstance
Dr. Paul Zeizel finished his testimony earlier in the day.
asserted
Zeizel → finish → day
Then before lunch recess, Emily Thorndike, a former McLean Hospital employee, was questioned without the jury present.
asserted
jury → question → recess
Court was expected to resume around 2:15 p.m., but Judge Sullivan went to sidebar, and then told jurors they would be going home and court will resume at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
asserted
court → expect → Thursday
"This is not something we saw coming.
asserted
we → see → ?
But you're not to speculate about what it is, you're not to hold it against either side.
asserted
you → speculate → side
It's just something that we have to deal with," Sullivan said, adding that the proceedings are still on schedule.
asserted
proceedings → have → schedule
TikTok user can't testify, judge rules
Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham have been questioning witnesses throughout the trial, while Kevin Reddington is handling the case for the defense.
asserted
Reddington → testify → defense
Without the jury present during the lunch recess, Judge Sullivan heard arguments about the potential testimony from
.
asserted
Sullivan → hear → testimony
Thorndike worked at McLean Hospital, but not while Clancy received treatment there starting New Year's Day 2023.Thorndike took issue with how the prosecution described the Belmont, Massachusetts, mental health facility while Patrick Clancy was on the stand.
asserted
Clancy → work → stand
She made a TikTok about her experience working in McLean from 2014 to 2021 that was widely viewed, and prompted Reddington to ask Judge Sullivan to let him call her as a witness.
asserted
him → make → witness
"I felt what was discussed in court was not aligned with what my experience was.
asserted
experience → feel → court
I noted several things," Thorndike said without the jury present, adding that she felt some of the prosecution's questions were misleading about staffing, especially around a holiday weekend.
asserted
some → note → weekend
Reddington tried unsuccessfully to get in contact with Thorndike after seeing the video, and eventually sent his private investigator to her house to speak to her.
asserted
Reddington → try → her
The prosecution argued that Thorndike should not be allowed to testify because she did not work at McLean when Clancy was there, and that records should speak for themselves.
asserted
records → argue → themselves
The judge said after hearing arguments that while he found Thorndike credible, he will not allow her to testify.
asserted
her → say → arguments
Judge Sullivan said there is limited materiality in what she could testify to, and limited value to the testimony.
uncertain
she → say → testimony
He said the defense can submit records about staffing from the week before Clancy was there in addition to the week she was there so that jurors can compare.
asserted
jurors → say → week
Dr. Zeizel completes testimony
asserted
Zeizel → complete → testimony
Dr. Paul Zeizel was one of several witnesses who testified for the defense on Tuesday.
asserted
who → testify → Tuesday
There were some tense moments as Zeizel completed his testimony.
asserted
Zeizel → be → testimony
He described Clancy as "extremely well-regarded and well-liked" in her unit at Tewksbury State Hospital, where she remains following the children's deaths.
asserted
she → describe → deaths
"Lindsay Clancy has bad days and worse days," Zeizel said.
asserted
Zeizel → have → days
"She does speak about her children.
asserted
She → speak → children
She really loved them, and misses them, and thinks of them every single day almost every moment of the day."
asserted
She → love → day
Buckingham attempted to show how close of a relationship Zeizel has with Clancy, attempting to show it could impact what he says about her.
uncertain
he → attempt → her
The prosecutor asked Zeizel how many defendants he has spent 35 hours evaluating.
asserted
he → ask → hours
He said only one other.
asserted
He → say → other
She asked how many others he has "cared deeply for."
asserted
he → ask → others
He again said only one.
asserted
He → say → one
"How many defendants have you given press conferences about?" Buckingham asked.
asserted
Buckingham → give → conferences
Zeizel said none.
asserted
Zeizel → say → none
Buckingham also noted that Clancy continually refers to the deaths of her children as "my tragedy."
asserted
Clancy → note → tragedy
Zeizel answered that it is "just one of the things that she'll say."
asserted
she → answer → that
At the end of Zeizel's testimony, Buckingham asked him if at Tewksbury State Hospital there is concern for Clancy attempting suicide.
asserted
Clancy → ask → suicide
…and 32 more, not listed.
The Aporia
