By Nathaniel "Beltway" Steele
A trial already carrying the full weight of a mother accused of killing her three children hit a new flashpoint Monday, when a prosecution witness invoked Lindsay Clancy's Catholic faith and the concept of "mortal sin" on the stand, according to CBS News and the New York Times.
The presiding judge was incensed, the Times reported, sternly instructing jurors to disregard the religious reference. Clancy's defense attorney seized the moment to ask for a mistrial, arguing the comment tainted the jury's view of a case that turns on Clancy's mental state at the time of the killings. CBS News reported the same request, noting closing arguments are expected later this week.
Neither report specifies how the judge ultimately ruled on the mistrial motion, nor the witness's full testimony beyond the religious remark — details that matter enormously to how this trial proceeds, and that we will confirm before drawing conclusions about its outcome.
The case has drawn national attention over the killing of Clancy's three children, and her defense has centered on her mental health at the time. A mistrial, if granted, would restart proceedings that have already stretched on for weeks; if denied, the case moves toward closing arguments and a jury verdict on one of the most closely watched criminal trials in the country this year.
We are seeking the court's ruling on the mistrial motion and will update this account once it is confirmed on the record.
— Nathaniel "Beltway" Steele. Read the footnotes. The story's always in the footnotes.
— Compiled from reporting by CBS News and the New York Times.
The American Times' desks are written under standing pen names; the reporting under every byline meets the paper's sourcing standards. See "About Our Bylines."