Mistrial declared in Lindsay Clancy murder case, after jury deadlocks

Legenda da figura, Dentro do tribunal enquanto o juiz declara um julgamento sem resultado no caso de Lindsay Clancy.

O que acontece depois que o caso de assassinato de Lindsay Clancy termina em mistrial? Publicado há 4 horas.

O julgamento de Lindsay Clancy coloca a psicose pós‑parto em evidência Publicado 19 de agosto.

Momentos-chave do julgamento de Lindsay Clancy por assassinatos de crianças.

Aviso: Esta história contém detalhes perturbadores e discussão sobre tentativa de suicídio.

Um juiz de Massachusetts declarou um julgamento nulo no caso de assassinato contra Lindsay Clancy, depois que os jurados, que deliberaram por cerca de uma semana, reconheceram que não seriam capazes de decidir unanimemente se ela deveria ser considerada criminalmente responsável por matar seus três jovens filhos.

O caso contra Clancy tem tanto cativado quanto dividido fortemente o público americano, até gerando comentários do presidente dos EUA.

Havia um sentimento de descrença no tribunal enquanto o caso — e o futuro de Clancy — agora permanecem em estado de limbo.

Clancy's lawyer led a dramatic last-ditch attempt to halt the mistrial and force a verdict, which was unsuccessful. A hearing later this month could establish what happens next in the case.

At this point, I'm going to declare that the jury is deadlocked, and I'm going to declare a mistrial," Judge Sullivan told the jury on Friday, dismissing them after weeks of testimony, nearly a week mulling Clancy's fate and the panel signalling three times that they were deadlocked.

The deadlock - known as a hung jury - does not mean prosecutors have proven their case, nor does it mean the defendant is not guilty.

A hearing was scheduled for 29 September, where prosecutors could outline their next steps in the case.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old former nurse will remain held on the same murder charges and maintain staying in the mental health facility where she is housed now.

Os promotores poderiam decidir entre uma série de opções sobre o que acontece a seguir, incluindo a realização de outro julgamento ou a celebração de um acordo de confissão com Clancy sobre o estrangulamento de seus filhos, Cora, de 5 anos, Dawson, de 3 anos, e Callan, de oito meses — em sua casa em Massachusetts.

After killing the children, Clancy cut herself ​with a knife and jumped from a second-story window in an attempt to take her own life, which has left her paralysed.

Clancy does not deny killing the children in 2023 but pleaded not guilty to the three first-degree murder charges, with her lawyers arguing she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.

Image source, Plymouth Clerks OfficeImage caption, A photo displayed in court shows Clancy, her ex-husband and their children.

The grim case led to a series of dramatic twists and turns as the jury deliberated Clancy's fate.

On Friday, court began with Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington pushing for a juror on the panel to be removed, after the jury indicated a day prior in a note that a member of the panel was not following instructions on reasonable doubt.

Under US law, a jury must unanimously believe "beyond a reasonable doubt" that someone is guilty in order to convict them of a crime.

A designação é o padrão mais rigoroso no sistema jurídico dos EUA. Ela coloca o ônus sobre o governo para provar que o acusado é culpado, e não sobre o acusado provar sua inocência.

Judge Sullivan denied the request and sent jurors back to deliberate. About an hour later, the panel came back to say they still could not reach a verdict.

Foi então que o juiz Sullivan disse que não tinha escolha senão declarar um julgamento nulo. Reddington imediatamente pediu uma pausa temporária para que pudessem apresentar um recurso de emergência ao Supremo Tribunal Judicial de Massachusetts.

Figure caption, Watch: What is a mistrial and what does it mean for Lindsay Clancy.

In the filing, Reddington asked the state's highest court to order the judge to force the jury to continue deliberation and for the judge to question the panel over the alleged holdout juror that led to the deadlock.

The state's high court denied the request, paving the way for the mistrial.

Clancy parecia abatido enquanto o juiz oficializava a decisão. O tribunal ficou surpreendentemente silencioso.

She remained expressionless but her lawyer looked visibly upset by the decision. He continued to push back, insisting the judge had the power to dismiss the one holdout juror.

Unfortunately, they're not holding out based on a good-faith issue," he said.

Reddington said he intended to file another motion, which essentially requests for the mistrial to be reconsidered. This could come up at the next hearing later this month.

The mistrial came after six weeks of court proceedings and after jurors deliberated for more than 40 hours over seven days.

There will be no decisions made today," Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said on Friday on what could happen next in the case.

Ele disse que se encontraria com o restante da equipe jurídica deles para decidir se vão buscar um novo julgamento.

The facts are Lindsay Clancy killed her three children and the evidence suggested to us that she was in control of her actions when she committed those homicides," he said.

Fora da corte na sexta‑feira, Reddington disse que acreditava que 11 dos 12 jurados teriam entregue um veredicto que favorecia Clancy, se não fosse pelo único dissidente.

But it remains unclear what position any member of the jury took or what talks looked like in the deliberation room.

For weeks the case gripped the country and sparked debate over the topic of postpartum psychosis. Many followed along with livestreams of the trial, as family members and experts testified.

A cada dia, mais de 200 membros da imprensa se aglomeravam no tribunal e grupos de apoiadores de tamanhos variados frequentemente se reuniam do lado de fora.

The widespread attention even spurred comments on Friday from US President Donald Trump, who called the case a "horrible tragedy.

Ela fez uma coisa horrível, horrível. Não pode ser pior," ele disse na Casa Branca. "Eu suponho que haverá outro julgamento.

Mas você descobrirá qual será o preço a pagar," acrescentou Trump. "Haverá um preço.

If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide.

In the UK a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Throwing papers, hurling a ninja star - Lindsay Clancy lawyer creates courtroom spectacles.