A Massachusetts jury is deciding whether a mother who strangled her three children goes to prison or a hospital, while 300 miles south a federal judge is hearing how Philadelphia's top prosecutor systematically undermined murder convictions — and the connecting thread is an establishment that keeps finding reasons not to hold people accountable.

Lindsay Clancy, 36, does not dispute that she killed 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan in the basement of their Duxbury home in 2023. The question is whether postpartum psychosis absolves her of criminal responsibility. Meanwhile, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner — a progressive prosecutor elected to reform the system — had three of his own assistant district attorneys testify in federal court about his office's efforts to shield itself while overturning a murder conviction. Two courtrooms, same crisis: the steady erosion of the idea that actions have consequences.

The Clancy Deliberations

A jury of nine women and three men resumed deliberations Monday after roughly ten hours Friday. They asked to review two bags of prescription pill bottles and the knife Clancy used in her attempted suicide, according to WCVB. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington said his client feels "sad, scared" — a sentiment his surviving family members no doubt share.

The BBC laid out the jury's options in detail: not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity, first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or manslaughter. Under Massachusetts law, the burden falls on prosecutors to prove Clancy was criminally responsible — meaning she either lacked a mental illness or, despite having one, still knew right from wrong. Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague conceded Clancy suffered mental illness but argued it "was not so severe that she didn't know right from wrong."

The defense hinges on Clancy's claim that she heard a voice telling her to kill her children. Retired Judge Jim Barretto told WCVB that voice is "key to this case" and that the defense has made criminal responsibility "a live issue." A first-degree murder conviction carries mandatory life without parole. A not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity verdict sends Clancy to a psychiatric facility instead of state prison. As criminal defense lawyer Elyse Hershon told the BBC, the case "really comes down to where she is going to serve the rest of her life."

The BBC framed the question almost entirely around Clancy's mental state, giving extensive space to defense arguments. New York Law School professor Heather Cucolo told the outlet jurors would need to see Clancy as "a monster" to convict on first-degree murder. That framing — that holding a triple killer accountable requires seeing her as monstrous — is exactly how the media softens the ground for eroded accountability.

Krasner's Office Implodes

In Philadelphia, the accountability problem runs the other direction. U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond's courtroom was packed with lawyers — including lawyers representing lawyers — for a post-conviction hearing that exposed Krasner's office as an operation more concerned with self-preservation than justice.

Three of Krasner's own prosecutors — training chief Katherine Ernst, appeals attorney Steven Wildberger, and law division head David Napiorski — testified about the office's sloppy and possibly corrupt handling of efforts to overturn the second-degree murder conviction of Dennis Johnson. They came with receipts: meeting times, memos, and emails.

The Inquirer reported that Ernst testified Krasner refused to use his official email and forced staff to communicate through his private account. When the three prosecutors drafted a memo detailing the office's conflict of interest, Krasner responded from his chief of staff's email: "This response is not from Jen Lin, it is from Larry Krasner." Wildberger testified Krasner went "apoplectic" when presented with a letter referring the Johnson case to the state Attorney General, complaining they had brought him material in writing.

Federal courts have already disbarred and suspended Krasner prosecutors for lying. The state Supreme Court, in an unprecedented move, appointed the Attorney General to oversee future efforts to undo convictions — essentially a court-appointed babysitter.

Krasner declined to comment but called the prosecutors "ill informed" in a filing. The Inquirer, which has generally been sympathetic to Krasner's reform agenda, noted the testimony made his future look "bleak."

The Stakes

Three children are dead in Duxbury. A murder conviction is being dismantled in Philadelphia. In one courtroom, the defense says mental illness cancels accountability; in the other, the prosecutor works to undo it from the inside. The Constitution guarantees due process — not a guaranteed escape from consequences.