Judge rejects Lindsay Clancy's request for acquittal after mistrial

A Massachusetts judge on Thursday rejected Lindsay Clancy's request to be found not guilty of killing her three children after a mistrial was declared in the initial murder trial over a hung jury.

Judge William Sullivan wrote in the order that a reasonable juror could find Clancy guilty of the murder and thereby would not find to acquit her of the charges, according to the New York Times.

The rejection comes after her attorney argued Tuesday that prosecutors failed to present enough evidence that his client killed her three children or that she was criminally responsible. The argument marked a change after the defense previously argued insanity. 

Sullivan, who scheduled a Nov. 2 hearing to discuss a possible retrial for Clancy, declared the mistrial last month after the initial jury was deadlocked in an 11-1 split. The lone holdout was voting to convict Clancy.

Clancy's attorneys attempted to use the insanity defense, claiming that their client suffered such severe postpartum mental illness that she could not be held criminally responsible for the killings and that she was over-medicated when she strangled the children and attempted to take her own life. 

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not indicated so far whether prosecutors will seek to retry Clancy, who is being held at a psychiatric hospital. Her defense attorney is expected to argue for the case to be dismissed next month.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.