Lindsay Clancy's defence attorney, Kevin Reddington, has publicly asked President Trump to consider pardoning his client, in his first sit-down interview since her murder trial ended in a mistrial last week.

The case

Clancy, 36, pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder over the deaths of her three young children, five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and infant Callan, at the family's home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023. Her five-week trial ended in a mistrial on 4 September, after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict following more than a week of deliberations, with one juror holding out against the other eleven.

What Reddington said

Speaking to George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America, Reddington said: "Mr President, I would hope that you would consider this young lady, the type of person she is, what she's been through, and consider a pardon." He referenced Trump's earlier public comments on the case, noting the president had "felt compelled to speak out" on it already.

Reddington described Clancy as "an incredible person" and "such a wonderful, wonderful person," pointing to her struggles with postpartum mental illness, which his defence has argued led to the killings, and reiterated his view that the healthcare system failed her, saying her life had been ruined by the experience. He said Clancy had been well liked among former colleagues and medical staff who treated her following a suicide attempt after the deaths.

Why a presidential pardon isn't actually possible

Presidential pardon power is limited strictly to federal offences. Clancy's case was tried entirely at the state level in Massachusetts, meaning she isn't eligible for a pardon from Trump regardless of his interest in the case. Any state-level pardon would instead need to come from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.

What Trump has said about the case

Trump addressed the mistrial in comments at the White House last week, calling it "a horrible tragedy." He said: "It's a shame. It's a horrible tragedy. I see what's happened and it looks like it's a hung jury. I think the judge has said it's going to be a mistrial, so there's going to be another trial. It's a terrible situation. Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. Can't be worse. 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, but I guess they're going to go through another trial."

What happens next

Reddington said he's hopeful of reaching an agreement with Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz on next steps, which could include a retrial, reduced charges, a plea deal, or the case being dropped entirely. He described Cruz as a hard-charging, conservative prosecutor he's known for 30 years, and said he hopes Cruz will reconsider the case after having sat through the evidence presented at trial.