Pre-trial hearing today in Karen Read trial after jury put in place
Opening statements scheduled for April 22
A hearing will be held Wednesday in Karen Read’s retrial after a jury panel was put in place.The court scheduled a hearing for the case for 10 a.m. and set opening statements for April 22.”We’re loaded for bear,” Read said outside the courthouse. “Ready to get this show on the road and we’re happy with the whole process today.”NewsCenter 5’s David Bienick counted 591 candidates over 10 days of the selection process. The court was seeking 18 jurors, of whom 12 will end up deliberating and six will serve as alternates. The final jury includes nine women and nine men, who may have additional evidence to consider. The prosecution plans to use Read’s own words from numerous interviews.”I’m pleased,” Read said about the jury. “I believe that they’re truthful and they were questioned thoroughly.” The final jury includes nine women and nine men, who may have additional evidence to consider. The prosecution plans to use Read’s own words from the numerous interviews. “They get to see her as a poised individual telling her story so she doesn’t have to testify. And that’s important because cross examination might rip her apart. On the other hand she doesn’t come off as sympathetic in any interview. She comes off as cold, noncaring with no sympathy for the deceased,” said Philip A. Tracy, Jr., senior partner at Dimento & Sullivan. Each side had 16 challenges or 16 opportunities to refuse a juror without giving a reason. Meanwhile, Read’s defense team is asking the Supreme Court to throw out two of the three charges against her, including second-degree murder. Read argues the jury had privately found her not guilty of those charges.Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson denied Read’s request for an immediate halt to her retrial. The full court is scheduled to hear Read’s appeal on April 25. It would take four of the nine justices to take the case, but that only happens in a small fraction of the cases discussed. Read, 45, of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Her defense team argues that someone else was responsible for killing O’Keefe and that Read is the victim of a cover-up.She now has five lawyers in the courtroom with her, including Victoria George, who served as an alternate juror during Read’s first trial. Cannone expanded the area of the buffer zone outside the courthouse because jurors from the first trial reported hearing demonstrators outside screaming and yelling during deliberations. The judge said the zone is necessary to prevent outside influence, interruption and distraction. What to know about the case:Read, 45, of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Her defense team argued that someone else was responsible for killing O’Keefe.The defense centered on allegations of a cover-up involving members of several law enforcement agencies. They say O’Keefe was beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog and then left outside.Testimony in Read’s first trial began on April 29, following opening statements. It ended on July 1, when jurors reported being hopelessly deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared.Read’s team vowed to keep fighting, and her defense has waged a considerable battle across multiple courts, attempting to get charges dropped or have the case thrown out entirely. Meanwhile, a federal investigation into the case concluded without any charges being filed against police.
DEDHAM, Mass. —A hearing will be held Wednesday in Karen Read‘s retrial after a jury panel was put in place.
The court scheduled a hearing for the case for 10 a.m. and set opening statements for April 22.
“We’re loaded for bear,” Read said outside the courthouse. “Ready to get this show on the road and we’re happy with the whole process today.”
NewsCenter 5’s David Bienick counted 591 candidates over 10 days of the selection process. The court was seeking 18 jurors, of whom 12 will end up deliberating and six will serve as alternates.
The final jury includes nine women and nine men, who may have additional evidence to consider. The prosecution plans to use Read’s own words from numerous interviews.
“I’m pleased,” Read said about the jury. “I believe that they’re truthful and they were questioned thoroughly.”
The final jury includes nine women and nine men, who may have additional evidence to consider. The prosecution plans to use Read’s own words from the numerous interviews.
“They get to see her as a poised individual telling her story so she doesn’t have to testify. And that’s important because cross examination might rip her apart. On the other hand she doesn’t come off as sympathetic in any interview. She comes off as cold, noncaring with no sympathy for the deceased,” said Philip A. Tracy, Jr., senior partner at Dimento & Sullivan.
Each side had 16 challenges or 16 opportunities to refuse a juror without giving a reason.
Meanwhile, Read’s defense team is asking the Supreme Court to throw out two of the three charges against her, including second-degree murder. Read argues the jury had privately found her not guilty of those charges.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson denied Read’s request for an immediate halt to her retrial. The full court is scheduled to hear Read’s appeal on April 25. It would take four of the nine justices to take the case, but that only happens in a small fraction of the cases discussed.
Read, 45, of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Her defense team argues that someone else was responsible for killing O’Keefe and that Read is the victim of a cover-up.
She now has five lawyers in the courtroom with her, including Victoria George, who served as an alternate juror during Read’s first trial.
Cannone expanded the area of the buffer zone outside the courthouse because jurors from the first trial reported hearing demonstrators outside screaming and yelling during deliberations. The judge said the zone is necessary to prevent outside influence, interruption and distraction.
What to know about the case:
Read, 45, of Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. The prosecution says she hit her boyfriend, O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. Her defense team argued that someone else was responsible for killing O’Keefe.
The defense centered on allegations of a cover-up involving members of several law enforcement agencies. They say O’Keefe was beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog and then left outside.
Testimony in Read’s first trial began on April 29, following opening statements. It ended on July 1, when jurors reported being hopelessly deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared.
Read’s team vowed to keep fighting, and her defense has waged a considerable battle across multiple courts, attempting to get charges dropped or have the case thrown out entirely. Meanwhile, a federal investigation into the case concluded without any charges being filed against police.
