Lindsay Clancy murder trial judge declares mistrial but allows 1-hour stay after jury remains deadlocked

Moments after Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial, Lindsay Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington asked the court and was granted a one hour for a stay of that mistrial ruling.

That request came at 11:30 a.m.

Reddington wants to file a single justice appeal to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the highest court in the state, because he believes that the lone holdout juror that we learned about Thursday is essentially breaking the law. 

WBZ-TV legal analyst Jennifer Roman was asked if a mistrial would be considered a “win” for Lindsay Clancy’s defense. 

“I think a mistrial for the defense is favorable to a guilty finding, for sure,” Roman said. “I’m not sure that it’s necessarily a win. I think that Lindsay Clancy and her team, along with every other person involved in this case, would like resolution and would like this to be done. Certainly, if there’s a mistrial, there’s a very real possibility the case would be tried again.”

Roman added that the most likely scenario would be that there is another trial.

“And that, you know, just the thought of that carries a certain weight to it, and a certain emotional impact, I think, for everybody involved,” Roman said.

David Yannetti, who was Karen Read’s attorney during her two trials, spoke to WBZ-TV about the feeling attorneys have when juries are deadlocked.

“It is a very difficult position to be in. It can be upsetting. Speaking from experience, during the first Karen Read trial, this is pretty much how it went for us. We sent the jury out and we were very confident we had persuaded everybody that they should come back not guilty. We expected a quick verdict despite the length of the trial,” Yannetti said. “And when it dragged on, you can’t help but speculate on, what’s going on in there? How can somebody not go along with us? Who’s fighting? Who’s with us, who’s not? And you have zero answers because nobody’s in that jury room.”  

Yannetti added that the deadlocked jury means defense attorney Kevin Reddington presented a successful case.

“He has persuaded some on the jury, in my view, that she should not be convicted, and the reason is lack of criminal responsibility,” Yannetti said. 

Much of the Lindsay Clancy trial testimony revolved around mental health issues, including suicide. 

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.

For more information about mental healthcare resources and support, the National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.