Lindsay Clancy Trial Chaos: Woman Charged With Juror Intimidation After Allegedly Filming Jury Outside Court

A woman has been charged with aggravated intimidation after allegedly filming jurors outside the courthouse where Lindsay Clancy's triple-murder trial is being heard, adding a dramatic new twist as the jury struggles to reach a verdict.

Dawn Light, 56, of Sutton, Massachusetts, was arrested Tuesday outside Plymouth District Court while jurors in Clancy's trial were deliberating. According to the BBC, Light was accused of sitting in a restricted area outside the courthouse and photographing jurors as they left the building.

Light pleaded not guilty during her arraignment Wednesday. Her lawyer described the incident as a misunderstanding and argued that she had been trying to photograph Clancy rather than the jurors.

Woman Allegedly Filmed Jurors Outside Court

Massachusetts State Police were called after court officers reported that someone might be recording jurors in a parking area outside the courthouse. Officers found Light sitting inside a blue Toyota parked in a restricted area behind the courthouse.

Prosecutors said she told police she was waiting to see Clancy leave the building and initially denied filming or photographing anyone in the parking lot.

Police checked her phone but did not immediately find photographs or videos of people outside the courthouse. Investigators then examined deleted material and found video showing several people leaving the building. Court officers subsequently confirmed that the people captured in the footage were jurors in the Clancy trial.

Prosecutors argued that Light's actions posed a serious threat to the integrity of the proceedings. They also said Judge William Sullivan had issued an order specifically prohibiting the photographing or filming of jurors.

It was reported that prosecutors requested $50,000 (£37,000) in cash bail because of the seriousness of the allegation.

Light Released With Strict Conditions

The judge ultimately rejected the cash bail request and released Light on personal recognisance. She was ordered to stay away from the courthouse grounds and have no contact with jurors or witnesses connected to the Clancy trial. She was also prohibited from disseminating any photographs or videos connected to the incident.

Light's lawyer argued that his client had no criminal record, had strong community ties and was not a flight risk. He said she had only intended to photograph Clancy and had no interaction with the jurors.

Light is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on 15 October. The case has unfolded against the backdrop of intense interest in Clancy's trial, which has attracted national and international attention and generated strong reactions online.

Clancy Jury Remains Deadlocked

Clancy, 36, is accused of killing her three children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, at the family's home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023.

The defence has argued that Clancy was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and should be found not criminally responsible. Prosecutors have disputed that argument and sought to establish that she understood what she was doing.

The jury began deliberating after closing arguments and has struggled to reach a unanimous decision. Jurors told the judge Wednesday that they remained deadlocked, the second such indication in two days. The judge ordered them to continue deliberating rather than immediately declaring a mistrial.

The alleged filming incident has therefore added another layer of uncertainty to an already closely watched proceeding. With the jury still unable to agree and prosecutors now dealing with an alleged attempt to record jurors, the Clancy trial has entered one of its most extraordinary stages yet.