Judge says he’ll declare mistrial in Lindsay Clancy case after jury cannot reach a verdict

On Friday, Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy case, after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict on whether Clancy was criminally responsible for the 2023 strangulation of her three young children. The trial has been a topic of intense public interest, sparking debates around maternal mental health after childbirth.

Clancy's defense team claims her actions were caused by postpartum psychosis, a rare condition affecting 1 to 2 women out of every 1,000 after delivery. Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, argued she has bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis. The jury's inability to decide was highlighted after Clancy's foreperson told Sullivan a single juror refused to follow the court's instructions on reasonable doubt.

The judge had already individually questioned jurors, reminding them that "proof beyond a reasonable doubt does not mean proof beyond all possible doubt." Clancy, paralyzed from the waist down due to a suicide attempt, was brought to a sidebar conversation with the judge and lawyers for the first time during the trial. If the jury cannot agree on a verdict, the judge could declare a mistrial, which would force prosecutors to decide whether to retry Clancy, drop charges, or negotiate a plea deal.