The Lindsay Clancy Murders - Questions About Sentencing

[RPP]

Anybody following this case ? Its bonkers. You can read the backstory if you want but it has brought up something i dont understand.

She was orginally convicted on 3 counts of 1st degree murder. The judge gave the jury several options at the end of the case for the jury to decide the punishment. See below.

"During deliberations, jurors considered five possible verdicts: guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder, guilty of manslaughter, not guilty, or not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.<sup>"

Would she not have to be brough in on seperate charges to be charged with 2nd degree or manslaughter or not guilty ? How does the jury just decided the punhishment like that. Arnt the punishments directly tied to the laws that were broken?</sup>

[Junglepeanut]

I didn't follow at all but I am assuming she was never convicted of anything. The jury was just given multiple levels of charges to decide from or decide not guilty on all of them. Its common for the prosecution to give multiple levels of choices but also a gamble. If you just go for say 1st degree and no other options and the jury decides the crimes didn't qualify for 1st degree but have no other options they have to go with not guilty and thats that. But if you give lots of options they may feel bad for the person even if they are guilty of higher charges and may just choose a lesser. Its a crap shoot..... But again I know nothing about the case so I apologize if my answer didn't help but from what you presented there is no way she had already been convicted of anything

[RPP]

Junglepeanut No that helps. The case is currently in danger of being declaired a misstrial due to division of the jury... 11 to 1.

I was not aware that the judge would just hand out different options not necessarly tied to the origional charges.

[heit1_32]

Interesting, I wasn't aware of the 5 options given. I think it was declared a mistrial this morning.

does the final option of saying she lacks criminal responsibility basically mean saying she's crazy and requires institutionalized or something? I thought that was an option. Not guilty by plea of insanity or something? But then you face a life in a mental institution I believe?

[Cdn_Cuda]

In Canada that's NCRMD Not criminally responsible due to mental disorder. Public thinks that's a free pass, but it actually means the person may kept behind in custom a lot longer. No mandatory parole etc.

[RustyShackleford]

She hasn't been convicted now the judge has called it a mistrial due to one juror holding out. It will be interested to see what happens next. Pretty terrible in my opinion- it would be weird to see someone get off the hook for murder- to which i should add they might try her again so who knows

[RPP]

She hasn't been convicted now the judge has called it a mistrial due to one juror holding out. It will be interested to see what happens next. Pretty terrible in my opinion- it would be weird to see someone get off the hook for murder- to which i should add they might try her again so who knows

Yeah, the defense was very sure the jury was leaning in their direction... Im also curious what is happening next.

[heit1_32]

Yah, but I wonder what the 11 jurors had wanted. Maybe they wanted to declare her criminally incompetent due to insanity and 1 person wanted a murder charge. I feel like that's probably how it played out. I'll lose a lot of faith in humanity if they were going for total innocence.

[RustyShackleford]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killin...lancy_children

i just read the wiki, and her condition deteriorated in a way where she trying to get help. I don't know what to think now, my wife is currently battling post partum depression so its sort of scary to read.

[RAZRBAKK]

[Siress]

I have no take on this, but I'll share the legal assessment I heard form a lawyer friend a week or so ago, summarized:
'The trial makes little sense. Regardless of outcome, she's going to spend the rest of her life locked up in a mental institution. '