A judge in Plymouth, Massachusetts, has once again asked a deadlocked jury to continue deliberating in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a mother charged with murdering her three children.
The defendant, 36, denies the charges but her lawyer argues she suffered postpartum psychosis during the killings, citing a state of emergency. The court must decide if she is criminally responsible.
The case has taken over 35 hours of deliberation across almost six weeks, with an eight-to-one grading bar. A forewoman sent a note saying one juror refuses to accept the law of reasonable doubt. Defense requested that juror be removed, but Judge Sullivan turned the request down.
The judge said he could not side with either side and instructed the jury to keep working toward a unanimous verdict. The jurors later met individually with him.
If the jury fails to reach unanimity, the judge may declare a mistrial, after which prosecutors can decide whether to retry the case. Clancy faces life imprisonment without parole if convicted, but could be sent to a psychiatric hospital if found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility.
The trial has attracted national attention and brought up questions about mental health defense and legal thresholds. The courtroom remained tense as reporters observed the drama unfold.
