Massachusetts Judge Denies Lindsay Clancy's Not-Guilty Motion
Judge William Sullivan ruled that sufficient physical and circumstantial evidence exists to support a finding of criminal responsibility for Lindsay Clancy, despite her mental-illness defense.
A Massachusetts judge on Thursday rejected a request by defense attorney Kevin Reddington to have Lindsay Clancy found not guilty of murder. Judge William Sullivan, who had previously denied a similar motion after a mistrial in early September, said the prosecution presented enough evidence for a rational fact-finder to conclude guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
"There was evidence introduced, both physical and circumstantial, that would permit a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of the charge of murder," the judge wrote.
Sullivan also rejected the argument that Clancy’s mental illness automatically barred a criminal-responsibility finding.
"Mental illness alone does not preclude a finding of criminal responsibility beyond a reasonable doubt," he added.
The judge affirmed the Commonwealth’s position that Clancy possessed the capacity to understand the wrongfulness of her actions and to control her conduct at the time of the killings, citing evidence about the nature of the crimes and her behavior before and after the incidents. Clancy is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 2 for a hearing on a pending double-jeopardy claim and a request to investigate a juror who voted for conviction.