The deadlocked jury in the Lindsay Clancy trial has begun deliberating for a seventh day after a holdout juror led to a heated exchange between the judge and Clancy’s defense attorney.
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juror → begin → judge
The unusual disclosure about the holdout juror, made in a note to the judge, delivered the clearest glimpse yet of what could be keeping jurors from reaching a verdict on whether the Massachusetts mother is criminally responsible for killing her three children.
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mother → make → children
The jury has told Judge William Sullivan twice so far that it is unable to agree on a verdict.
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it → tell → verdict
Despite a request from Clancy’s defense attorney, Sullivan ruled Friday morning that he would not question the juror further.
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he → rule → juror
Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer clashes with judge
A heated exchange between the judge and Defense Attorney Kevin Reddington ensued, with Reddington accusing the judge of "glossing over" the problem of the holdout juror.
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Reddington → clash → juror
"I would ask that you not just give them, as I described it yesterday, a soft inquiry,” Reddington said.
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Reddington → ask → inquiry
“I would ask that you specifically direct their attention to proof beyond a reasonable doubt and reinstruct them on that forcefully."
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you → ask → that
Sullivan snapped back: "I think I did that yesterday, didn't I?"
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I → snap → that
Reddington replied: "You did it yesterday, you did it soft, you didn't do it forcefully, and I'm asking that you do it forcefully."
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you → reply → it
Sullivan said in response: "What do you want me, what do you want me to do?
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me → say → what
I read the instruction as written by the SJC.
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I → read → SJC
The fact that I perhaps didn't give it like full inflection, I'm sorry about that, I'm not an actor, I'm just giving the instructions."
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I → give → instructions
Reddington pressed the issue even further, stating: "Well my point, judge, simply is that you're kind of glossing over the issue.
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you → press → issue
The issue is this juror will not, according to that note, apply the law of reasonable doubt, and that's why I've requested, you know what I've requested, so I note my objection."
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I → accord → objection
"I am specifically not glossing over this issue,” Sullivan replied.
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Sullivan → gloss → issue
“I have thought about this issue long and hard, I know the defendant objects, but the characterization that I'm glossing over it, trust me that's not the situation, I've been thinking about this for quite a while."
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I → think → while
Jury sends note about holdout juror
Sullivan brought in each juror individually on Thursday and questioned them in private after he received the note about the holdout juror.
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he → send → juror
The judge then reread his instructions on reasonable doubt and sent jurors back to continue deliberating.
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judge → reread → jurors
Reddington urged Sullivan to dismiss the juror Thursday, arguing the person had refused to follow the judge's instructions.
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person → urge → instructions
Prosecutors objected and Sullivan refused to remove the juror.
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Sullivan → object → juror
“I don’t feel it is proper for me to side with one side or the other of the deliberations,” the judge said.
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judge → feel → deliberations
“I don’t feel it’s appropriate for me to say, ‘I agree with one juror or the 11.’
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I → feel → juror
I have asked if they are able to follow my instructions.
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they → ask → instructions
They swore earlier that they could.”
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they → swear → ?
Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, doesn’t deny strangling her children in 2023 before trying to take her own life.
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Clancy → deny → life
Her attorney says postpartum psychosis led to her actions, while prosecutors argue she knew what she was doing when she killed Cora, Dawson and Callan Clancy, ages 5, 3 and 8 months.
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she → say → Cora
Prosecutors say Clancy deliberately sent her then-husband on errands to get him out of the house and they questioned the seriousness of her suicide attempt.
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they → say → attempt
Clancy’s livestreamed trial has generated massive interest, with reporters and spectators packing the courtroom.
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reporters → livestreame → courtroom
The case has also sparked deep public divisions over her culpability and the issues around maternal mental health after childbirth.
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case → spark → childbirth
If the jury ultimately can’t agree on a verdict, the judge could declare a mistrial.
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judge → agree → mistrial
Prosecutors would then have to decide whether to put Clancy on trial again, drop the charges or try to negotiate a plea deal with her lawyer.
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Prosecutors → have → lawyer
If the jury decides Clancy was criminally responsible for her actions, it could convict her of either murder or manslaughter.
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it → decide → murder
If she is acquitted, a judge could still order her confined to a mental health facility if an evaluation determines that she poses a danger to the public.
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she → acquit → public
