Clancy Lawsuits: Attorney Disputes Testimony Claims

Lindsay Clancy's attorney denied on Wednesday that she intends to testify in the civil lawsuit filed by her ex-husband.

Patrick Clancy filed a separate civil action against his former wife's mental health providers earlier this year. The complaint alleges that these providers failed to address Clancy's cries for help. This failure, according to the filing, contributed to the deaths of her three children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan. The lawsuits assert that Clancy strangled the children in the basement of their Duxbury home during a mental health crisis. They further claim that poor medical treatment and prescription mismanagement exacerbated her condition.

Defense lawyers for the healthcare providers and hospitals moved to dismiss the case on Wednesday in Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. They argued that their clients possess immunity under Massachusetts law. They stated that Clancy never communicated homicidal thoughts to them. Lawyer Tim Sweetland told the court that the 86-paragraph complaint did not allege that Clancy explicitly threatened to harm or kill the children.

Patrick Clancy's attorney, Howard Cooper, countered that expectation. He told the court that he believes Clancy will testify that she explicitly told these defendants she had homicidal ideation. "We believe that Lindsay Clancy, once her Fifth Amendment issues are resolved one way or the other, will testify that she told these defendants explicitly that she had homicidal ideation, that she was worried about something awful happening to her kids," Cooper said. The judge took the matter under advisement to decide later.

Kevin Reddington, Lindsay Clancy's lawyer, issued a statement to WBZ-TV later that night to refute the suggestion. "It has come to my attention that counsel for Patrick Clancy represented to the court in his civil case that my client, Lindsay Clancy, will testify about statements she made to her healthcare providers," Reddington wrote. He added that Clancy never indicated she intended to testify in the suit. "Mr. Clancy's counsel does not speak for Lindsay Clancy," he concluded.

Clancy may still face a second criminal trial after her first ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury. When asked about his client's condition, Cooper noted that the process has been difficult for Patrick. "It's been incredibly hard for him. There have been voices at the fringe of the internet, or maybe even not that far from the fringe, who have made outrageous, false, and defamatory comments about Patrick, a father who lost his three children, lost his life, is doing everything he can to put it back together again," Cooper said. He declined to comment on whether he plans to pursue defamation claims on Patrick's behalf.

Clancy did not testify during her first murder trial. The civil cases remain active in Massachusetts state court as both sides navigate the legal arguments regarding provider liability and immunity.