Defense urges judge to dismiss Lindsay Clancy murder case over jury deadlock

Attorneys for Lindsay Clancy filed a motion on Wednesday asking a judge to dismiss her three counts of first-degree murder, arguing that a mistrial in her 2023 case violates double jeopardy protections. The legal battle centers on whether the court properly handled a deadlocked jury and a claim of juror misconduct before ending the trial last September.

Clancy’s lawyers, Kevin Reddington and Martin Weinberg, submitted a 13-page document stating that the prosecution’s opposition to the dismissal contradicts established double jeopardy law. They argued that the presiding judge, William Sullivan, failed to meaningfully question the single juror who held out against a not-guilty verdict. The defense contends this oversight forced a mistrial rather than allowing the court to resolve the issue by discharging the holdout.

Prosecutors filed a 30-page response on Monday, labeling the defense’s argument unavailing. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague wrote that questioning the juror would have intruded into private deliberations and constituted judicial coercion. She maintained that the mistrial was necessary and therefore did not bar a retrial. The prosecution noted that the judge conducted a limited individual inquiry of each juror and instructed the group on reasonable doubt after considering other options.

Clancy, a Connecticut native who grew up in Wallingford, faces charges related to the deaths of her children, Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months. The children died on Jan. 24, 2023, in their Duxbury, Mass., home. Clancy is accused of strangling the children while her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, was away. The defense maintains she suffered from postpartum psychosis, while the prosecution argues she planned the killings and controlled the household.

The jury deadlocked 11-1 after a six-week trial this summer. The majority voted for acquittal on the basis of lack of criminal responsibility. Judge Sullivan declared a mistrial on Sept. 4. The holdout juror, Michael Péguy Desronvil, has stated publicly that he had no doubts about Clancy’s guilt. He claimed other jurors cut him off during deliberations when he attempted to discuss case theories.

Weinberg, who previously represented Karen Read in a high-profile Massachusetts case, drafted the motion to dismiss. He argued that the judge’s failure to probe the alleged misconduct closed off viable alternatives to a mistrial. The defense is also fighting a separate request for a gag order, arguing it constitutes prior restraint because no new trial has been scheduled.