Can President Trump pardon Lindsay Clancy? Here's what to know

The attorney for Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three children in 2023, asked President Donald Trump to pardon his client on Tuesday after a mistrial was declared last week in the high-profile murder case. Attorney Kevin Reddington appeared on 'Good Morning America' and spoke about the next steps in the case. 'I'd like to say that perhaps Donald Trump, who felt compelled to speak out about this case, may very well… Mr. President, I would hope that you would consider this young lady, the type of person she is, what she has been through, and consider a pardon,' Reddington said. Can Trump issue a pardon to Lindsay Clancy? Clancy is accused of murder in Massachusetts. Because she does not face federal charges, and a presidential pardon applies only to federal crimes, a pardon from Trump would not have any precedent in her case. Reddington received national attention for his fiery defense during Clancy's murder trial. She is accused of murder for the strangulation of her three children in 2023 and now faces a potential retrial as soon as this fall. When asked about the case on Friday, Trump called it a 'horrible tragedy.' 'It's a terrible situation. Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. It can't be worse. But, we will find out what the price to pay is. There will be a price. It's going to be mental institution or jail or something,' Trump said. Clancy didn't dispute that she killed the children, but Reddington argued that she should not be found criminally responsible because she was in the throes of postpartum psychosis at the time. Reddington said the jury, which had deliberated for seven days, was ultimately stuck at 11-1, with one juror holding out to convict. Trump's history of pardons While Trump cannot technically pardon Clancy due to her facing state-level charges in Massachusetts, it wouldn't be the first time the president has offered one. In December, he issued a pardon for Tina Peters, a former Colorado county election clerk who was sentenced to nine years behind bars after being convicted by the state in a scheme to make a copy of her county's election computer system. While Trump's pardon had no legal precedent at the time, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis in May commuted her sentence following pressure from Trump. Peters was released in June. Since the beginning of Trump's second term, the president has issued more than 100 individual pardons. The Associated Press contributed to this report.