By Bo Erickson
WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The lawyer for Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother whose murder trial ended in a mistrial last week, asked President Donald Trump on Tuesday to pardon her, despite the fact that the case was prosecuted under state law.
Trump said last week he had been following Clancy's trial. The 36-year-old mother was accused of killing her three children in their home in January 2023.
“Mr. President, I would hope that you would consider this young lady, the type
of person she is and what she’s been through, and consider a pardon,” attorney Kevin Reddington said at the end of an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."
A president's pardon power applies only to federal crimes, and Clancy was prosecuted under state law. Trump has nevertheless taken a broad view of his clemency powers and applied them in some cases tried in state courts.
Asked about the Clancy pardon request, the White House referred to the president's previous comments on the case.
“She did a horrible, horrible thing. Can't be worse,” Trump told reporters after a state judge declared a mistrial because jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. “But you'll find out what the price to pay is. There'll be a price. It's going to be mental institution or jail or something.”
At trial, Clancy's lawyers argued she was not guilty by reason of insanity, saying she was experiencing a psychotic episode caused by postpartum psychosis.
Prosecutors argued the killings were premeditated. The state could now seek a retrial.
Last December, Trump pardoned former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters, a Trump ally who had been convicted on state charges related to voting machine tampering.
The pardon was largely viewed as symbolic because Peters was prosecuted under state law. But the move added political pressure on Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, given questions about Peters' nine-year prison sentence.
Polis granted Peters clemency in May, and she later appeared with Trump in the Oval Office.
(Reporting by Bo Erickson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Bill Berkrot)
