Judge Orders Continued Deliberations as Lindsay Clancy Jury Remains Deadlocked
The jury in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial reported it could not reach a unanimous verdict, prompting Judge William Sullivan to send jurors back for further deliberations.
Jurors in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy informed Judge William Sullivan that they were unable to agree on a verdict, leading the judge to order continued deliberations. The panel resumed discussion until about 3:30 p.m., after which they departed without reaching a decision. This deadlock echoes prior high-profile Massachusetts cases, notably the hung juries in the trials of Karen Read in 2024 and Emanuel Lopes in 2023 and 2024.
In those instances, judges read the "Tuey-Rodriguez" instruction—a statutory admonition urging jurors to render a verdict if possible—before allowing a third deadlock to trigger a mistrial. Should the Clancy jury report a second deadlock, the same instruction will likely be applied, and a third deadlock would give the judge discretion to declare a mistrial. A mistrial would keep Clancy in custody at Tewksbury State Hospital, while Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz would decide on a possible retrial or dismissal.
Why it matters
A hung jury could lead to a mistrial, affecting the legal outcome for Lindsay Clancy and setting precedent for future Massachusetts cases.
How this story developed
- Aug 19 Defense psychologist argues Lindsay Clancy lacked criminal intent due to postpartum psychosis
- Aug 21 A defense psychologist testified about Clancy’s bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis.
- Aug 24 Prosecutors presented rebuttal witnesses after the defense rested.
- Aug 26 Prosecution called Dr. Avram Mack as a rebuttal witness who testified Clancy understood the wrongfulness of her conduct.
- Aug 29 Jurors convened Thursday to decide whether Clancy bears criminal liability.
- Aug 31 Jury began third day of deliberations in the case
- Aug 31 Jury resumed deliberations on Tuesday after failing to reach a verdict on Monday.
- Sep 2 Dawn Light was arrested outside the courthouse and charged with intimidation of a witness, juror, or person providing information.
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