Lindsay Clancy‘s jury has deadlocked for a second time in the high-profile murder trial involving the death of her three young children in 2023. As jurors struggle to reach a unanimous verdict, the judge has issued special instructions, urging them to continue deliberating. As more time passes without a decision, many experts share the opinion that the case is edging closer to ending in a mistrial.
September 2 marked the fifth day of jury deliberations in the Lindsay Clancy trial, which began in late July. Both sides presented their closing arguments on August 27, and that same day, the jury deliberated for more than three hours before they were sent home for the day.
After 18 hours of jury deliberations, they notified Judge William F. Sullivan that they were unable to reach a verdict, as previously reported by The Blast. The jury, which consists of nine women and three men, must reach a unanimous verdict as mandated by law.
On the afternoon of September 2, the 12 jurors sent a note to the judge that read, “After much deliberation, we are still unable to come to a unanimous decision.” By that time, they had been discussing for nearly 30 hours over five days and had still reached a deadlock.
The Judge Gives Special Instructions And Cites The Tuey-Rodriguez Charge
Judge Sullivan acknowledged the deadlock, but before being sent back to deliberate, they received special instructions.
Judge Sullivan delivered the Tuey-Rodriguez charge, also referred to as the dynamite charge, a last-resort instruction for jurors who cannot reach a unanimous verdict, per WSAV. It encourages the jury to continue their deliberations while emphasizing that they should not set aside their honest beliefs about the case for the sake of reaching a verdict.
“The verdict to which a juror agrees must be their own, the result of their own convictions and not a mere acquiescence in the conclusions of their fellow jurors,” the judge said. However, he also added that it is “desirable that the case be decided.”
The Lindsay Clancy Trial Has Five Verdict Options
Clancy is facing three counts of first-degree murder, each representing one of her three children who were murdered: 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan.
The defense does not dispute that Clancy killed their children; their core argument is that she suffered from severe postpartum psychosis and had a psychological break, which made her legally insane at the time of the killings.
The jury is asked to consider five verdict options for the three charges: guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder, guilty of manslaughter, not guilty, or not guilty by reason of insanity.
Lindsey Clancy’s Attorney Said He’s Ready To Retry The Case
Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, is ready to go back in court if the jury ends in a mistrial. Outside the courthouse, he told reporters he’s ready for a new trial “next week” if the jury doesn’t reach a unanimous verdict, according to Fox News.
“I have some motions to file. If they come back with a verdict, we’ll see what it is. If they don’t, I am ready to try it next week,” adding that if that happens, he won’t allow his client to be evaluated by a doctor because Clancy has “false memories in her head.”
Legal Experts Predict Lindsay Clancy Case To Result In A Hung Jury
There is no fixed number of times a jury must be deadlocked for the judge to declare a mistrial. Legal experts believe, however, that the second jury impasse in Clancy’s trial has increased the likelihood of a hung jury.
According to legal commentators, the unanimous verdict could be the reason for a mistrial, as it only takes one person out of the 12 to prevent a verdict from being reached. “I would be surprised if the instruction changes things. I think if it doesn’t deadlock today, it will deadlock tomorrow. I think tomorrow is the end of the road,” a legal analyst told PEOPLE.
Reddington said he’s “proud” of the jury, commending them for “working so hard.” “Whatever happens with the case, nobody can say that they haven’t given it their all,” he noted.
The jury will reconvene for the sixth day of deliberations on September 3 at 9 a.m.