Shocking Legal Move: Attorney Asks Trump for Pardon in Lindsay Clancy Case — Despite Knowing It's Impossible

In a dramatic television appeal, the defense attorney for Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother whose triple-murder trial ended in a mistrial last week, has asked President Donald Trump to pardon his client. The only problem: presidential pardons don't apply to state crimes. Kevin Reddington knows this — and he's openly admitted the request is part of a broader strategy to leverage Trump's political influence on the Republican prosecutor who will decide whether to retry her case.

BOSTON – Just four days after a hung jury declared a mistrial in the high-profile Lindsay Clancy murder case, her defense attorney has made a stunning public plea: "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" .

The request, made Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America," capitalized on President Trump's public comments last Friday, in which he called Clancy's case a "horrible tragedy" and said he had been following the trial because "it's on television so much, it's hard not to follow it" .

There's just one problem: Clancy isn't eligible for a presidential pardon.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the president's clemency power is strictly limited to federal offenses . Clancy has been charged by the state of Massachusetts, and her case falls entirely under state jurisdiction . A state-level pardon would have to come from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey — not the White House .

Why Reddington Made the Request Anyway

In an interview with WBZ-TV shortly after the "Good Morning America" appearance, Reddington openly admitted he knew a presidential pardon was legally impossible . The question, then, is why?

"The goal is pretty simple. It's to seek help from Trump," Reddington explained . "I mean, if President Trump feels that this is a case that warrants that type of intervention from, you know, the executive branch, even though legally it's not a federal case, he certainly has an awful lot of clout" .

Reddington's strategy appears to be this: if Trump were to "hypothetically reach out to Tim Cruz" — the Plymouth County District Attorney who will decide whether to retry Clancy — the president's influence might carry weight. "I'm sure that, were he hypothetically to reach out to Tim Cruz, you know, they're both Republicans, and I don't know, maybe that will be something that Tim would listen to and consider," Reddington told WBZ .

Cruz has held his seat since 2001 and is a Republican. The defense is hoping that Trump's interest in the case could translate into pressure on Cruz to pursue a more lenient path — perhaps a plea deal or a reduced charge — rather than a second trial .

'I Would Not Plead Lindsay Clancy to a Day in Jail'

Despite his willingness to "listen" to Cruz, Reddington has drawn a firm line on a plea deal . "I would not plead Lindsay Clancy to a day in jail," he told WBZ . "She doesn't deserve jail, because she was sick" .

His willingness to "work something out" with prosecutors, he said, would be limited to an agreement that recognizes her mental illness rather than punishing her with incarceration .

The Case That Has Gripped the Nation

Clancy, 36, has admitted to strangling her three children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan — in their Duxbury home in January 2023 . She then attempted suicide, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down .

Her defense has argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, a severe mental illness that made her incapable of understanding the wrongfulness of her actions . Prosecutors contend she made a calculated decision, sending her husband out to pick up dinner to buy time before carrying out the killings .

Last week, a jury of nine women and three men deliberated for more than 38 hours over seven days but remained deadlocked 11-1 . Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial, opening the door for a potential retrial, a plea deal, or dismissal .

What's Next?

The next hearing in Clancy's case is scheduled for Sept. 29, when the court will determine the path forward . Cruz has said his office has not yet decided whether to pursue a retrial, calling the case about "getting justice for those three little babies" .

Reddington, for his part, remains defiant. Asked outside the courthouse on Friday whether he would do anything differently in a retrial, he responded: "Why would I? I won the case" . He later acknowledged he "could have been a little more circumspect" in his remarks about Cruz but stands by his assessment that the jury was 11-1 in favor of acquittal .

For now, the pardon plea remains a symbolic gambit. But in a case that has already defied expectations, Reddington's unconventional move may be just the beginning of the next chapter in the Lindsay Clancy saga.