January 1, Lawyer Makes Stunning Demand After Mistrial in Triple Child Murder Case

Wyatt’s Take

• After 11 jurors voted to convict a Massachusetts mother accused of murdering her three young children, one holdout derailed justice and forced a mistrial — leaving the victims’ father and the community in limbo.
• The defense attorney, who blasted the lone juror for ignoring the law, is now softening his tone and floating the idea of a plea deal — a stunning reversal after weeks of courtroom combat.
• In a bizarre twist, he even asked President Trump for a pardon, despite Trump having zero authority over state-level criminal cases — raising questions about whether this legal team understands basic civics.

The defense attorney for a Massachusetts woman accused of strangling her three children to death signaled this week he’d be open to cutting a deal with prosecutors, saying he hopes the district attorney will “revisit” the case now that her murder trial has ended in a mistrial.

The comments come after a judge declared a mistrial last Friday when jurors couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict. The alleged split? 11 jurors ready to convict, one holdout refusing to budge.

The defense lawyer argued that the lone juror acknowledged having doubt but refused to properly apply the judge’s instructions on reasonable doubt.

The accused mother, 36, faced three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children — all under age 6 — who were found strangled at the family’s home in January 2023.

In an interview on a major morning show Tuesday, the defense attorney said he hopes the two sides can “work something out” when asked about a possible plea agreement.

“I’m willing to listen to Tim. I’ve known Tim for 30 years. He’s a very hard charging prosecutor,” the attorney said, referring to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz. “I hope, however, after sitting through this trial and seeing the evidence that was presented from the government as well as from the defense, that he would revisit that issue and hopefully would be able to work something out that would be acceptable to both sides.”

The defense attorney had previously said prosecutors weren’t open to a plea deal while talking to reporters earlier this month. He later said “bring it” when asked about the possibility of a retrial.

“There’s no plea bargaining, there’s nothing Cruz wants, his triple homicide convictions, consecutive life sentences,” the attorney said at the time.

In a truly bizarre move, the defense attorney also appealed to President Donald Trump for a potential pardon. However, Trump has no authority to issue a pardon since the murder trial is being handled in state court, not federal.

“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 attorney said.

The defense attorney also softened his criticism of the lone holdout juror, whom he had previously accused of having an “agenda” and of having “robbed” the other jurors of their time.

“I at the end of the case made statements to the effect that I was upset,” he said. “I would defend that individual’s right to be a holdout for forever. That’s part of our judicial system. And I respect that. And I would certainly defend his right to do that.”

“What I was upset about was, after that lengthy trial and the work that everyone put into this case, including these jurors that spent literally almost two months away from their home, their job, their family, where a gentleman had an opinion, not that he was sticking like the movie ’12 Angry Men,’ but in fact he had agreed, according to the note from the forelady, that he had doubt, but he would not apply the law of reasonable doubt as presented by the judge. That’s not right. And that’s why I was upset,” the attorney explained.

In a statement this week, the victims’ father’s attorney said his client and his family have been the target of a “relentless, escalating and destructive defamation campaign” and warned that those behind it could face legal consequences.

“Over the past months, Patrick Clancy and his family have been subjected to a relentless, escalating and destructive defamation campaign. This campaign of misinformation has been launched and promoted by minor celebrities, so-called influencers and outright conspiracy theorists who appear intent on boosting their own social media profiles and potential profit by publishing what they know to be outright falsehoods that Patrick was somehow involved in the death of his young children and other vile claims,” the attorney said.

“Enough is enough — this spread of blatant and baseless falsehoods must stop. Those responsible should understand that there will be consequences, and every appropriate measure will be pursued to hold them accountable, including legally. Law enforcement has been notified,” the father’s attorney added.

While the district attorney hasn’t indicated what he will do with the case after the mistrial, the judge set a status hearing for late September.

Wyatt Matters

This case is a gut punch for anyone who believes in justice for the most vulnerable among us. Three innocent children are gone, and one juror’s refusal to follow the law left their father without closure and a community without answers. The defense’s courtroom theatrics — including a plea for a presidential pardon that makes no legal sense — show how disconnected elite lawyers can be from basic American values of accountability and the rule of law. Families across the heartland are watching, praying that justice will still be served.