A judge revealed he intends to declare a mistrial in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial Friday on the seventh day of deliberations -- but gave her defiant lawyer just one hour to file an emergency appeal against the ruling.
Page A5From§Eachthe matinee edition — 4 September 2026
Judge declares mistrial in Clancy trial, grants defense one-hour Hail Mary for appeal
As it ran on the front
The Lindsay Clancy trial reads like a manual for American due process: a deadlocked jury, hours of deliberation, and a judge ready to declare a mistrial—until the defense asks for one more hour. The receipts trace every step: jurors unable to agree on a verdict, the judge signaling the mistrial, and the defense getting a last-minute stay to file an appeal. In the field, that's what justice is supposed to look like—every side gets their shot, the process plays out in full view.
But the hour-long stay is where the gears grind a little differently. Most folks facing a murder charge don’t see the clock bent for them—let alone with the press rolling. Yet, here it is: the judge pressing pause, the defense scrambling for a Hail Mary, and the rest of us watching the clock. The system says this is fairness, but out on Main Street, you don’t get extensions just because your lawyer knows which form to file after lunch.…
…(cont) The line between a second chance and a special chance is thin, and it’s drawn in the courtroom. The rulebook says it’s about justice, but the playbook says it’s about who gets to use the rules. If you’re in the right room, you get the hour. Out here, you get the verdict. The stakes? For the rest of us, it’s knowing the law is a game you only win if you’re dealt the right hand.
“That’s how the system works when a jury won’t budge: mistrial, but only after a judge tosses the defense an hour-long lifeline. They say it’s about due process, but who gets that kind of last-minute grace? If you know the right people, you play on overtime.”
“Due process means exhausting every option; the judge is simply respecting the defense's rights. It's not special treatment—everyone gets a chance if the jury can't agree. I mean, that's the law, isn't it? Wait, did I just say everyone?”
The receipts
Judge William Sullivan indicated on Friday that he would declare a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy case, but then he granted time for the defense time to appeal.
The jury in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial says it's deadlocked and will not be able to reach a verdict in the case. Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan said he will declare a mistrial but issued a one-hour stay. Tony Dokoupil anchored this CBS News special report.
The Massachusetts judge overseeing Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial on Friday dramatically gave her defense attorney one hour to make an emergency appeal for a stay before he declares a mistrial. William Sullivan, who is overseeing the murder trial at Plymouth Superior Court, made the decision after the 12-member jury spent seven days…
A Massachusetts judge said he would declare a mistrial Friday after the jury weighing the fate of Lindsay Clancy failed for the third time to reach a verdict in the case of the mother accused of the strangling deaths of her three young children in 2023.
A judge revealed he intends to declare a mistrial in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial Friday on the seventh day of deliberations -- but gave her defiant lawyer just one hour to file an emergency appeal against the ruling.
Lindsay Clancy's lawyer claimed in court that one juror in the killer mom's murder trial "refuses to listen to the law."
24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events
Judge Intends To Declare Mistrial In Lindsay Clancy Case
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.