The Lindsay Clancy trial looks all set to be ruled a mistrial by Judge William Sullivan at the Plymouth court after the jury returned deadlocked the third time on Friday, September 4. Despite trying hard to prevent a mistrial, Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Redington, was unable to convince Judge Williams to ask the jury to deliberate again.
However, the 75-year-old veteran criminal attorney was granted a 1-hour window to file an emergency stay at the Massachusetts court.
If Reddington fails to do that, Judge Sullivan said he intends to rule a mistrial.
Understanding Emergency Appeals in Judicial Proceedings
An emergency appeal is a legal request for a higher court to expedite its review of a lower court’s ruling before that decision is enacted. In the recent Lindsay Clancy trial, the presiding judge indicated that an emergency stay could be submitted to the Supreme Judicial Court.
CNN legal correspondent Jean Casarez noted during a live broadcast that for the higher court to accept the emergency stay, there must be evidence of a “very clear and egregious error” made by the lower court. This suggests that the likelihood of a mistrial is increasing at this stage of the proceedings.
Attorney Kevin Reddington was observed discussing the next steps, particularly the critical one-hour window available to file the emergency appeal. Meanwhile, Clancy’s family appeared visibly upset by the judge’s decision, leaving the courtroom in a solemn manner, as reported by CNN.
