The defense asked to remove a juror it claimed was refusing to heed instruction.
Jury deliberations are underway in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mom who killed her three young children while in the family's home on Jan. 24, 2023.
Clancy’s defense attorney claims she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she strangled her children and attempted to take her own life. Prosecutors argue that Clancy -- who has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder -- is criminally responsible for her children's deaths.
If she is found guilty, Clancy could face life in prison without parole. If found not criminally responsible for the three murder charges, she will be sent to a state mental health facility.
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Judge William Sullivan told the jury, "You are required to follow my instructions on the law as I gave them."
Sullivan reiterated his instruction about reasonable doubt.
He then returned jurors to their deliberations.
The judge is polling the jurors individually at sidebar.
Clancy is present while this occurs.
It was preceded by a disagreement between the two parties.
About 35 hours into deliberations, the courtroom was called to order. Judge William Sullivan immediately summoned both sides to a sidebar to eventually include Clancy herself.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington and prosecutor Jennifer Sprague clearly disagreed about something.
The sidebar is ongoing.
After deliberations spanning more than five days, the jury in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy has still not reached a verdict.
On Wednesday afternoon, after the jury reported they were at an impasse for a second time in as many days, Judge William Sullivan read the jury a Tuey-Rodriguez instruction, encouraging them to continue working together toward a verdict and to remember it is their "duty to decide this case if you can do so conscientiously."
Sending the jury back to deliberate again could force a hung jury if the deadlock continues, legal experts say.
"At that point, the judge has to declare a mistrial, unless he has the consent of the jury who would want to go out again, and that's rather doubtful," Boston-based criminal defense attorney Peter Elikann said in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday. "This is really it. This is kind of the final push."
If a mistrial is declared, prosecutors could decide to try the case again, drop the charges, change the charges, or begin plea negotiations with Clancy, according to legal experts.
Click here for what to know about a potential mistrial.
