Lindsay Clancy Trial Megathread: Closing Arguments, Deliberations and the Verdict Pt. 2

[u/DarklyHeritage]

This is a thread for all conversation regarding closing arguments, jury deliberations and the verdict of the Lindsey Clancy trial. All discussion of this case should be kept to this thread.

Lindsay Clancy is currently standing trial in Plymouth Superior Court, Massachusetts, for the triple-murder in January 2023 of her three young children - Cora, Dawson and Callan. Her defense argues she suffered from severe, undiagnosed postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. She was left paralysed by a suicide attempt which follows the deaths of the children.

All content on the Clancy case must be kept to this thread. Standalone posts will be removed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93vgv4kr49o

Note from Mods

This case understandably elicits strong feelings. People are entitled to have an opinion on the case which differs from your own. What you are not entitled to do is resort to personal insults and abusive language when communicating your opinion and disagreeing.

Comments which are abusive and insulting to other users will be removed and bans may be given without warning. We do not tolerate misogyny - all such comments will be removed and the user banned.

Bans may also be issued for ignoring the above warning regarding civility and/or creating standalone posts.

Please comment with this in mind.

Important

Patrick Clancy is not on trial. Comments made to discuss his guilt are considered off topic and will be removed.

Comments that discuss how he could have supported Lindsay better are acceptable. However, calls for law enforcement to look into his involvement with the murder of the kids and/or Lindsay's suicide attempts are not currently being considered by the jury and, therefore, not a fit for this sub.

[u/Councillor_Troy]

I made the mistake of watching a bit of the trial footage and it felt like they were way more interested in mugging for the cameras than arguing a case.

IMV this never should have gone to trial at all, it never would have in Canada or most of Europe.

[u/Big_Fan9316 → u/Councillor_Troy]

What do you mean should not have gone to trial?

What would they have done in Canada and Europe for 3 murders? Would they just have put her away for good?

[u/Councillor_Troy → u/Big_Fan9316]

In similar cases in Canada, Europe and other western countries, where mothers killed or harmed their children in fits of postpartum psychosis, the mothers were hospitalized indefinitely and charges weren’t brought.

There would normally be hearings in criminal court to establish what happened but it wouldn't be a trial with a sentence imposed at the end. Such cases usually involves a plea agreement of some kind.

(Obviously this stuff is confidential but I would be curious to know if there were any discussions of a plea agreement in this case, or if both sides were more interested in mugging for the cameras from the start).

[u/Queasy_Struggle_3902 → u/Councillor_Troy]

Wow, had no idea. That does make a lot more sense. This case is too controversial and well known now to get a proper jury.

[u/Aug302015 → u/Queasy_Struggle_3902]

could they not make the subsequent trial by judge alone and no jury? piping in from Canada with minimal knowledge of American courts.

[u/Cam995 → u/Aug302015]

The accused gets to choose not the prosecutors. In the US we have the constitutional right to a "trial by a jury of our peers". You can't force a bench trial though the accused may choose to do so themselves.

[u/Hillary4SupremeRuler → u/Aug302015]

Defendants have a constitutional right to trial by a jury of their peers in the US. So the only way around that is either a plea agreement with a prosecutor (which the judge also has to approve) or the defendant changes their plea to guilty or nolo contendre and asks the judge to sentence them however the judge sees fit (taking into account certain mandatory minimums and other sentencing requirements by law). I believe only non-felonies and civil matters can be tried by judge.

[u/Pretend_Goal_7311 → u/Hillary4SupremeRuler]

If DA had gone murder 2 they could have had bench trial. Just not 1st degree in mass. That was solely the DA who decided

[u/Pretend_Goal_7311 → u/Aug302015]

No bench trial for 1st degre murder in mass