A high-profile defense lawyer publicly asked President Trump for a pardon that the White House has no power to grant in this case.
Story Snapshot
- Lindsay Clancy’s attorney asked President Trump on national TV to pardon her after a mistrial.
- The judge declared a mistrial when jurors could not agree on a verdict.
- Presidential pardons cover only federal crimes, not state prosecutions like Clancy’s.
- The request highlights public confusion over mistrials, pardons, and who can grant clemency.
Attorney’s On-Air Pardon Plea To President Trump
Kevin Reddington, the lawyer for Lindsay Clancy, used a morning interview to ask President Trump to pardon his client. He framed the plea around Clancy’s struggles and the hung jury. He said, “Mr. President, I would hope that you would consider this young lady … and consider a pardon,” during Good Morning America on Tuesday. Multiple outlets reported the direct appeal after the mistrial ruling in Massachusetts state court, where Clancy faces murder charges tied to her children’s deaths.
Reddington’s request followed days of intense coverage of the courtroom breakdown. The case had already gripped viewers for weeks. Reporters described the ask as unusual because it came while state charges remain active. The public setting amplified the appeal and ensured it reached political audiences as well as legal ones. Broadcast clips and write-ups focused on the blunt nature of the message and the timing, which came only after jurors could not agree on any verdict.
Mistrial Means No Verdict, And The Case Can Be Retried
The trial judge declared a mistrial after the jury reported it was deadlocked. Court transcripts show the judge telling jurors the panel could not reach a unanimous decision and ending the trial with a mistrial order. A mistrial does not find anyone guilty or innocent. It simply ends that trial without a verdict, and the charges can still be tried again. Prosecutors often review their case and decide whether to retry, negotiate, or dismiss.
The mistrial label can trigger public confusion. People sometimes think it is the same as an acquittal. It is not. The case returns to a pre-verdict posture. The same charges still stand unless the district attorney changes course. Judges issue mistrials for different reasons, but a hung jury remains the most common. That is what happened here. The judge cited the lack of unanimity as the reason for ending the trial without a decision.
Why A Presidential Pardon Does Not Apply To This Case
The Constitution grants presidents the power to pardon federal crimes, but not state crimes. Legal guides from the American Bar Association and the Office of the Pardon Attorney state that presidential clemency reaches only “offenses against the United States,” which means federal offenses. State prosecutions, like the charges against Clancy in Massachusetts, fall outside that power. People convicted of state crimes must seek relief from a governor or a state board, not the president.
Governor Maura Healey declined to say whether she would pardon Lindsay Clancy after the Duxbury mother's attorney made a public appeal to President Trump to pardon his client. https://t.co/lBdwzszfUG
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) September 8, 2026
Scholars and government summaries have repeated this point for years. The Supreme Court and congressional researchers describe the president’s pardon power as broad, yet limited to federal cases. That leaves no path for a White House pardon to erase or block a state murder case. Any clemency for a Massachusetts defendant would come from the Massachusetts governor. In short, the public plea to President Trump may shape opinion, but it has no legal force over a state trial.
Public Frustration, Media Pressure, And What Comes Next
This appeal taps into a larger mood of anger and doubt about government. Many Americans believe the system fails families on mental health, criminal justice, and fairness. When a defense lawyer makes a dramatic request on national television, he also applies pressure on local prosecutors and state leaders. That can sway how fast a case moves or whether a plea deal is possible, but it does not change who has the power to grant mercy in a state case.
Next steps rest with the district attorney and the defense. Prosecutors can retry the case, offer a plea, or drop charges. The defense can seek treatment-based outcomes or continued negotiations. A pardon from President Trump would not resolve a Massachusetts indictment. If clemency is pursued, the correct venue is the governor’s office in Boston. Until then, the mistrial keeps the case open, the stakes high, and the public debate loud.
Sources:
nypost.com, abcnews.com, unilad.com, abc7.com, abc7news.com, rev.com, abc7ny.com
