A mistrial does not mean that the defendant has been acquitted. It means the trial ended without a verdict that resolved the charges.
That distinction explains why the legal proceedings have continued even after weeks of testimony and deliberation.
The Central Question: Postpartum Psychosis and Criminal Responsibility
One of the most closely examined aspects of the case is the defense’s argument concerning postpartum psychosis.
Postpartum psychosis is a rare but serious psychiatric emergency that can develop after childbirth. Symptoms may include hallucinations, delusions, severe confusion, rapidly changing mood, and a loss of contact with reality.
It requires urgent medical evaluation and treatment because it can pose serious risks to the affected person and, in some circumstances, others around them.
However, a diagnosis of postpartum psychosis does not automatically establish that someone is legally insane or not criminally responsible for a particular act.
In Massachusetts, the legal question involves whether a mental disease or defect deprived a defendant of substantial capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of the conduct or to conform that conduct to the requirements of the law.
