Plea deal could resolve Clancy case instead of second trial
Criminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno weighs in on the Lindsay Clancy murder case following a mistrial. They discuss the potential for a plea deal on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’. They debate whether a second trial is likely or if a plea bargain will resolve the charges after the deaths of her three children.
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Judge Judy Sheindlin weighed in Thursday on the closely watched Lindsay Clancy murder case following its mistrial, warning there could be a “danger” in prosecutors deciding not to retry the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children.
The 83-year-old judge and television personality was asked by TMZ whether Clancy should face another trial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict earlier this month.
“I think there’s a danger in that, in not retrying,” Sheindlin responded.
Sheindlin, who launched the popular syndicated show “Judge Judy,” which aired for 25 seasons, was also asked about her view on the outcome of the trial after the jury’s deliberations ended in a reported 11-1 split in favor of finding Clancy not criminally responsible.
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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 whether 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.”
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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. ( )
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.
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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.
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Clancy remains in custody at Tewksbury Hospital and is due back in court Sept. 29.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.