The high-stakes legal circus surrounding Lindsay Clancy took an explosive turn Wednesday morning as her defense attorney revealed he’s fighting to throw out the case entirely.
Lawyer Kevin Reddington announced on “CBS Mornings” that he will file a motion to dismiss all charges on September 29 on double jeopardy grounds. Reddington argued that Massachusetts Superior Court Judge William Sullivan rushed to declare a mistrial last week without “manifest necessity.”
“Manifest necessity” is the standard for declaring a mistrial over a defendant’s objection.
“If he wins that motion, she would go free,” CBS News legal contributor Caroline Polisi stated, calling the move “huge news,” although a “long-shot.”
The latest development comes on the heels of bombshell revelations from jurors who broke their silence after the marathon 38-hour deliberations ended in a stalemate.
Clancy, a 36-year-old former nurse, methodically strangled her three young children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan, with exercise bands in their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home in January 2023 before slashing her wrists and leaping from a second-story window.
While prosecutors contend Clancy planned the slayings while her husband was out picking up takeout food, the defense has argued she was gripped by severe postpartum psychosis and overmedication.
Three jury members have come forward detailing the screaming matches that doomed the trial, singling out what they called an “arrogant” lone male holdout who reportedly held out against a near-unanimous verdict.
Reddington’s upcoming motion hinges on the judge’s refusal to question or remove the holdout panelist after the foreperson sent a note warning that the man was defying instructions on the law.
Referring to Plymouth District Attorney Tim Cruz, Reddington stated, “It’s up to Tim. He could reduce the charge to second-degree [murder]. … I know enough to know it doesn’t matter what I’d like. All I know is that I’m not ever going to agree this young lady do a day in jail.”
Reddington has also admitted he’s appealing to President Donald Trump for a presidential pardon, even though presidents have zero authority over state criminal cases. Trump weighed in on the tragedy from the Oval Office last week, calling Clancy’s action “a horrible thing” and predicting Clancy would ultimately pay a price in “a mental institution or jail.”
Reddington insisted he’d reach out to the “King of England” if it helped his client, who remains confined at Tewksbury State Hospital while Cruz decides whether to attempt a retrial or offer a plea deal.
.png)
.png)
