Lindsay Clancy update: New legal twist as Karen Read’s attorney joins ‘double jeopardy’ challenge over retrial
Lindsay Clancy has added Boston defense attorney Martin G. Weinberg to her legal team as she tries to stop a second trial over the deaths of her three children. Weinberg filed a limited appearance in Plymouth Superior Court on Tuesday, September 15, to work on a planned motion arguing that double jeopardy prevents the case from going forward.
Clancy’s first trial ended in a mistrial on September 4 after jurors could not reach a unanimous decision. Her next court hearing is set for September 29, when the judge is expected to consider the defense motions and the next steps in the case.
Martin G. Weinberg joins Lindsay Clancy’s defense
Weinberg is a well-known Boston defense lawyer who previously represented Karen Read during her legal fight over the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe. He argued before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 2024 that some charges against Read should be dismissed after her first trial ended in a mistrial.
That effort was unsuccessful, but Read was later acquitted of the murder charge at her second trial in 2025. Weinberg is now taking on a similar legal issue for Clancy, although the facts and legal questions in the two cases are different.
Clancy’s lawyer Kevin Reddington confirmed Weinberg’s new role. “I’ve asked Marty to handle the double jeopardy motion to dismiss and the constitutional issues in this case,” Reddington said. “He will lead any appeal that follows. He is one of the finest constitutional lawyers in the country, and Lindsay deserves nothing less.”
Why Lindsay Clancy is seeking dismissal?
Clancy was charged with killing her three childrenCora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, at their Duxbury home in January 2023. She admitted killing the children, but her defense argued that she was not criminally responsible because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Her first trial ended without a verdict after seven days of jury discussions. Several jurors later said the panel was split 11-1, with 11 jurors supporting a finding that Clancy was not criminally responsible. The lone holdout prevented a unanimous decision, leading Judge William Sullivan to declare a mistrial.
Reddington had already said he would seek dismissal, arguing that there was no legal need for the mistrial and that a second trial could violate Clancy’s constitutional protection against double jeopardy. Weinberg has now been brought in specifically to handle that argument and any appeal that follows.
Also Read: Where is Lindsay Clancy being housed? Everything to know about her stay during murder trial
What happens to Lindsay Clancy next?
The main question is whether prosecutors can legally retry Clancy after the mistrial. Double jeopardy generally protects people from being tried twice for the same offense, but a mistrial caused by a deadlocked jury does not automatically prevent a new trial.
The court will consider the defense’s arguments at the September 29 hearing. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek a retrial.
For now, Clancy remains facing three first-degree murder charges while the court decides what happens next.
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