Judge Denies Request to Remove Holdout Juror in Lindsay Clancy Trial
7 sources across 5 countries
Who reported this
- BBC News
- Reuters
- MS NOW
- CNN
- Folha de S.Paulo
- South China Morning Post
- El Pais
What the colours mean
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- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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A judge in Plymouth, Massachusetts, denied a request from the defense to remove a juror after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on their sixth day of deliberations. The trial involves Lindsay Clancy, a former nurse who admitted to killing her three young children in January 2023. Defense lawyer Kevin Reddington told the court that a note from the jury foreperson indicated one juror refused to follow the judge's instructions regarding the legal standard of reasonable doubt.
Judge William Sullivan brought the jury back into the courtroom to reinstruct them on the burden of proof. He explained that prosecutors do not have to prove their case beyond all possible doubt, but must produce an abiding conviction to a moral certainty that the charge is true. Despite the defense's plea to remove the holdout juror to avoid a mistrial, Judge Sullivan declined, stating it was not appropriate for him to side with one juror over the other eleven.
The defense argues that Clancy should be found not guilty by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors acknowledge her mental health struggles but argue she intentionally killed her children because she believed they would suffer without her. If the jury cannot reach a verdict and a mistrial is declared, prosecutors must decide whether to retry the case, which has featured over 80 witnesses and 300 exhibits. Clancy faces life in prison without parole if convicted of triple first degree murder.
How each side framed it
- Left
- This report provided detailed context on the judge's specific legal instructions regarding the burden of proof.
- Centre-left
- These reports emphasized the deadlock of the jury and the defense attorney's reactions to the possibility of a retrial.
- Centre
- These reports focused on the procedural aspects of the court proceedings and the judge's decision.
- Centre-right
- This report highlighted the specific conflict between the holdout juror and the judge's instructions on reasonable doubt.
Sources
- Centre BBC News: Watch: Inside court as Lindsay Clancy's lawyer asks judge to remove juror
- Centre-left CNN: Judge orders jury in Lindsay Clancy case to continue deliberation after reiterating “reasonable doubt”
- Centre-left CNN: Clancy’s attorney says judge expected to question lone juror tomorrow
- Centre-left CNN: ‘Bring it’: Clancy’s lawyer on possibility of second trial
- Centre-left El Pais: One of the jurors in the Lindsay Clancy case disagrees with the other 11 and there is no verdict, what happens if the deadlock continues?
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Defense of woman who killed 3 children in USA asks for juror removal
- Left MS NOW: Juror ‘refuses to listen to the law,’ Clancy’s attorney tells court
- Centre Reuters: Lindsay Clancy's lawyer says one juror preventing murder trial verdict, deliberations resume Friday - Reuters
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: Holdout juror preventing verdict in Lindsay Clancy’s US child murder trial, lawyer says
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.