Lindsay Clancy Trial- Day 22- Closing Arguments

This blog is going to be a bit of a mix of my opinions and observations as well as a summary of the closing.

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Defence Closing- Attorney Kevin Reddington

Starts of by thanking the jury and recognizing the toll a case like this can take on them. talks about the kids being victims and Lindsay knowing loss. (Lindsay is already crying) Says the prosecution is proud of trying this case, but says it's ripped the soul out of Lindsay and damaged the family that was when medication is the thing to blame. He shows pictures of the family and Lindsay with the kids while reminding jurors that she was a nurse, daughter, wife and "damn good mother". Talks about how the prosecution started the case implying that she faked her suicide attempt or wasn't serious about it. But points out their own witnesses say it's serious. Talks about the things the prosecution used to say she was guilty or to paint her in a negative light: she drank wine some nights, she asked for a lawyer after waking up hand cuffed to the bed with police outside of her room, The book good moms have scary thoughts, working out at the gym. Talks about the burden of proof being on the Prosecution and makes remarks regarding the police investigation. (it's clear in this closing how reddington feels about this case and the prosecution, he seems very disgusted that they even tried this) Talks about following the evidence, the injuries to Lindsay, the way she cared for and spoke about her kids. Talks about the bands used, how Patrick says the were knotted or tied and how the prosecution is saying they weren't meaning Lindsay had to have held the bands there for minutes for each child. talks about the pills and the theory they were crushed but there's no residue and no investigative testing proving this. Talks about the rebuttal witnesses, says 2 out of three were good witnesses but not objective. Talks about Dr. Resnick and him being a renowned filicide and evaluating for signs of lying. Says Lindsay was cooperative during the entire process, signed forms needed for information to be released, did evaluation after evaluation spending hours at a time being questioned and saying she's owned what she did, she didn't run or lie or hide. Highlights that every professional was saying she was very mentally ill, and was suffering from disease or defect. Says the journal entries show her loosing her mind, the difference in writing and organization from the Sept/Oct- January.

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My thoughts on this closing: Reddington once again was a strong attorney and he clearly is one hell of a lawyer. He was passionate about defending Lindsay and in that passion I feel like his closing was a bit jumping around. Honestly it feels like he wasn't reading from a pre written closing statement but more like he went in with certain points needing to be mentioned in mind and at times was reminded of other points while hitting those.

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Prosecution Closing- ADA Spragg

She starts out very different then she has the entire trial. I found both ADA's to be hostile or cold throughout the trial and like they don't believe in mental health issues. However, this instant she got up and in a soft and sympathetic voice she says yes she was mentally ill and struggling. They say that she had more help and healthcare then most people and that she didn't follow treatment protocol because it wasn't a quick fix to feeling herself again. Says she denied care at mclean and the women's and infants. talks that she doesn't fully admit to her thoughts with her providers. Says that the birthday video at Cora's party shows her happy and smiling and watching all the kids, so she was fine. Highlights how many providers she seen and they all say they seen no evidence of psychosis, are they all wrong? Was Lindsay able to control her actions that well. Then they talk about January 24th and reiterates their theory that she was fine, she went out to appointments and no concerns were flagged, she plays with the kids and says that she's having a good day. They claim that she stated planning at about 4pm so she googled miralax and food. That she planned the route and sent him away on purpose. If she wanted him home quick, why not pick somewhere closer. After he leaves she strategically picks the kids in a order and kills them. and that she did then go try to kill herself and it just didn't work. And they understand her being suicidal but states she didn't have to take the kids too. She was able to take the call to make sure he doesn't worry. they claim the cvs wasn't just a "oh while you are out" but a task to add more time (I really don't agree with this point, she found out that morning she would need this and likely didn't want to stop with Cora so when Patrick was going it made most sense for him to pick it up). Talks about the witnesses who say she wasn't in psychosis that she is criminally responsible. Talks about the children as her protective factor, meant she had to remove them ( a protective factor is something or someone that keeps a suicidal person from planning and carrying out their suicide).

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Thoughts: This closing statement was odd to me. They seemed to switch tones from their opening that said Lindsay was malicious, cold and calculated. Now all of a sudden they admit her attempted suicide was real and that they understand mental health. I did like the one point in which she references how all the providers that seen Lindsay during that time none of them noticed psychosis, and asks could they all be wrong? I felt like it was a little to late to show empathy towards the defendant personally but maybe it's a strategic move on their part.