Lindsay Clancy‘s defense attorney called on President Donald Trump on Tuesday to pardon his client.
“I’d like to say that perhaps Donald Trump, who felt compelled to speak out on this case… Mr. President, I would hope you would consider this young lady, the type of person she is, what she’s been through and consider a pardon,” attorney Kevin Reddington said in an interview on “Good Morning America.”
Trump had weighed in on the mistrial on Friday, saying he had been following the case.
“It’s a shame,” he said, calling it “a horrible tragedy” and said he assumes that, after the hung jury, there will be another trial. “It’s a terrible situation.”
“Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. Can’t be worse, but you’ll find out what the price to pay is,” Trump said, likely a mental institution or jail. “But I guess they gotta go through another trial. It’s too bad.”
Even if Trump were to consider a pardon of Clancy, the issue is moot. The president can only pardon those convicted or accused of a federal crime, not state or local crimes.
Reddington touched on several other issues related to the trial in his interview Tuesday with George Stephanopoulos.
He seemed to soften his stance on Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz, calling his comments after the trial about “crushing” the prosecution “bravado.”
“That’s after the fact, emotions run high,” he said. “I’d just finished a 6-7 week trial. I think the defense was very strong. Perhaps I could have been more circumspect with Tim Cruz. Instead of saying I crushed him, I could’ve said ‘I did a good job.'”
Reddington also said he’s willing to listen to Cruz if he wants to discuss some sort of a deal.
“I’m willing to listen to Tim. I’ve known Tim for 30 years. He’s a very hard charging prosecutor, conservative gentleman. I hope, however, after sitting through this trial and seeing the evidence that was presented from the government as well as the defense, that he would revisit that issue and hopefully we’d be able to work something out that would be acceptable to both sides.”
Reddington also spoke of Clancy’s character, calling her intelligent and hard working, and “a wonderful neighbor, friend, wife and mother… just an incredible person.”
He said he feels a strong bond with her because of the type of person she is.
Reddington also said he thinks the final 11-1 split among the jurors was in favor of not guilty by reason of insanity.
As for the single holdout juror, the defense attorney said he defends that person’s right to be a holdout, but he was upset that the juror acknowledged that he had reasonable doubt but refused to apply the law of reasonable doubt as presented by the judge.
“That’s not right and that’s why I was upset,” he said.