What happens if a mistrial is declared in Lindsay Clancy case?
A judge is considering a mistrial in the case of Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of murdering her three children while allegedly suffering from postpartum psychosis. If declared, prosecutors will have to decide whether to retry the case, negotiate a plea, or drop the charges.
Why it matters
The case highlights the complex intersection of mental health, specifically postpartum psychosis, and the legal system's approach to criminal responsibility.
Figure caption, Watch: BBC's Ione Wells explains how the Lindsay Clancy trial could end
After a week of mulling Lindsay Clancy's fate, jurors remained deadlocked in the case of the US mother accused of murdering her three young children.
Judge William Sullivan has yet to formally declare a mistrial because Clancy's lawyer Kevin Reddington has asked for an hour to file an emergency appeal.
But Sullivan's indication that he will declare a mistrial opens the door to a host of possibilities about what happens next.
Clancy, who faced three counts of first-degree murder, does not deny killing her children in 2023 but pleaded not guilty, with her lawyers arguing she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.
The prosecution said she made a calculated, intentional decision to kill them.
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