Plea deal could resolve Clancy case instead of second trial
Criminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno discussed the Lindsay Clancy murder case after the trial ended in a mistrial, including whether prosecutors could pursue a plea agreement. During “Fox & Friends Weekend,” the panel considered whether Clancy is likely to face a second trial or whether the charges tied to the deaths of her three children could be resolved through a plea deal.
Judge Judy Sheindlin offered her perspective Thursday on the high-profile Lindsay Clancy murder case following the mistrial, cautioning that prosecutors could face a “danger” if they choose not to retry the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children.
The 83-year-old former judge and TV personality was asked by TMZ whether Clancy should be tried again after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict earlier this month.
“I think there’s a danger in that, in not retrying,” Sheindlin said.
Sheindlin, whose syndicated series “Judge Judy” ran for 25 seasons, was also asked about the trial’s outcome after deliberations reportedly ended with an 11-1 split in favor of finding Clancy not criminally responsible.
Judge Judy Sheindlin weighed in on the Lindsay Clancy case after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the Massachusetts mother’s murder trial. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images; Unique Nicole/Getty Images;)
“I can’t give you a two minute answer on that,” Sheindlin said.
She was then asked if she believed Clancy should have been found guilty.
“There’s no question, my dear, that she killed her children,” Sheindlin said. “The only question is, is there an excuse for it? Make up your own mind on that one.”
Kevin Reddington, defense attorney for Lindsay Clancy, and Lindsay Clancy look on as Judge William Sullivan (out of frame) instructs the jury to continue deliberating, during Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial at the Plymouth County Superior Court in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on September 4, 2026. ( )
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TMZ also asked Sheindlin about Rep. Nancy Mace’s public call for Clancy to be publicly executed.
“I think it’s ridiculous,” Sheindlin responded.
Clancy’s defense does not dispute that the 36-year-old former delivery room nurse strangled her three children with exercise bands in January 2023.
Her defense has argued that she was not criminally responsible because of mental illness or defect.
Judge Judy Sheindlin warned there could be a “danger” in prosecutors deciding not to retry Lindsay Clancy following the Massachusetts mother’s mistrial. (Unique Nicole/Getty Images)
Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial Sept. 4 after seven days of deliberations when jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Several jurors later said 11 members of the panel favored finding Clancy not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, while one favored conviction.
Immediately after the mistrial was declared, Clancy’s longtime defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, signaled that he would fight another attempt to put her on trial. The defense has indicated it plans to argue that the circumstances surrounding the mistrial should bar a second trial.
However, in a recent interview with Fox News’ Bryan Llenas, Reddington said that if prosecutors reduced the top charge to second-degree murder, he would opt for a bench trial — one without a jury — in the hope that she would receive probation.
Clancy remains in custody at Tewksbury Hospital and is due back in court Sept. 29.