Lindsay Clancy judge says he’ll declare a mistrial, but grants defense one hour to appeal

A Massachusetts judge said he would declare a mistrial Friday after the jury weighing the fate of Lindsay Clancy failed for the third time to reach a verdict in the case of the mother accused of the strangling deaths of her three young children in 2023.

But in a dramatic courtroom moment, Clancy’s lawyer said he wanted to appeal to a higher court. The judge granted him one hour to do so.

Judge William Sullivan made the announcement after the jury sent the court a note saying it was still deadlocked.

“I’m going to declare a mistrial at this point,” Sullivan told the court Friday morning.

Both the prosecution and defense were given the opportunity to opine on the decision after the third deadlock.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington fought hard against a mistrial, asking for a final emergency appeal to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, but Sullivan seemed against bringing the jury back Saturday to continue deliberating should Reddington win the appeal.

Sullivan told Reddington he had one hour to file an emergency stay before calling the jurors back to dismiss them.

Clancy had pleaded not guilty to three first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Cora, 5, Dawson…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports