Overview
- Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial after jurors remained deadlocked, with 11 of 12 jurors favoring a finding of not criminally responsible and one juror refusing to change his vote.
- The mistrial that Sullivan declared on Sept. 4 left the defense to file a rare post‑trial motion asking the judge to enter a not‑guilty ruling on the ground that prosecutors failed to prove legal responsibility.
- Jurors have publicly described the lone holdout as a Black man in his 30s and complained he would not explain his reasoning, disclosures that have intensified media attention and raised questions about jury privacy and public perceptions of the verdict process.
- Under Massachusetts law a finding of not criminally responsible results in involuntary psychiatric commitment with periodic review, while a guilty verdict could carry life behind bars; the judge’s decision on the defense motion would prevent any retrial on the same charges.
- The Plymouth County district attorney has not announced whether prosecutors will retry Clancy, offer a plea, reduce charges, or seek dismissal, and the court will address the pending motion and next steps at a Sept. 29 status hearing.