PLYMOUTH, Mass. — As jurors continued deliberating Wednesday in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, one legal expert said the lengthy discussions and a reported deadlock offer few clues about where the panel may ultimately land.
Boston criminal defense attorney Elyse Hershon told Boston 25 News that while many observers are trying to read into the jury’s deliberation process, it’s impossible to know whether the ongoing discussions favor the prosecution or the defense.
The jury of nine women and three men entered its fifth day of deliberations after telling the court it could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Judge addresses courthouse conduct
Before deliberations resumed Wednesday morning, Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan reminded those involved in the case that court orders and state laws protecting jurors, witnesses, attorneys, and others connected to the proceedings remain in effect.
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The comments came a day after Massachusetts State Police arrested a woman outside the courthouse on a charge of intimidating a witness, juror, or person furnishing information in connection with criminal proceedings.
Hershon said juror protections are critical to ensuring a fair trial.
“The jury is very protected throughout the deliberation process and throughout the trial process,” Hershon said. “Their identities are protected to prevent outside influence, witness intimidation, anything like that.”
According to defense attorney Kevin Reddington, jurors were questioned about the incident and determined it did not affect them. Deliberations resumed without interruption.
What does a deadlocked jury mean?
Jurors have spent more than 24 hours discussing the evidence since receiving the case after closing arguments last week.
On Tuesday, the panel told the judge it could not reach a unanimous decision. While that development sparked speculation that the case could be headed toward a hung jury, Hershon cautioned against drawing conclusions.
“I think from my own experience, there’s really no way to know,” she said.
Instead, she said the prolonged deliberations may indicate that jurors are thoughtfully weighing arguments from both sides.
“What it does say is that both sides put on a good case to the point where they’re disagreeing,” Hershon explained. “There are some jurors likely on the side of the prosecution and some jurors likely on the side of the defense, hence why we don’t have a verdict yet.”
The jury is considering several possible outcomes, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, not guilty, or not criminally responsible by reason of mental illness.
Does the makeup of the jury matter?
The panel consists of nine women and three men, leading some trial observers to wonder whether gender could influence deliberations in a case that has generated intense public reaction.
Hershon said it’s hard to assume how men or women might view the evidence.
“I really think it depends,” she said. “There are a lot of people out there on both sides.”
The case has sparked widespread debate across Massachusetts and beyond, particularly because Clancy’s defense argues she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis when she killed her three children, while prosecutors contend she planned the murders and was criminally responsible for her actions.
Jury continues weighing evidence
For now, all eyes remain on the jury room.
Jurors are tasked with deciding whether Clancy, a Duxbury mother, is criminally responsible for the January 2023 deaths of her three children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan Clancy.
As deliberations continue, neither side has received any indication of how close jurors may be to reaching a unanimous verdict.
The jury remained behind closed doors late Wednesday morning as the closely watched trial entered another day without a decision.
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