Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman charged with killing her police officer boyfriend in 2022, appeared in court Friday for a hearing on her defense team's motion to dismiss two charges against her.
On Friday, August 9, 2024, Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, in January 2022, returned to court for a hearing concerning her defense team's motion to dismiss two charges against her.
Attorney Martin Weinberg presented Read's arguments in court, while Attorneys Alan Jackson and David Yannetti had previously requested that the charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a fatal accident be dismissed following a mistrial in June.
Karen Read's Motion to Dismiss: Arguments Presented in Massachusetts Court
Read's lawyers argued that jurors had reportedly reached a consensus that she was not guilty on the two charges, and that a second trial would subject her to double jeopardy. Prosecutors, however, plan to retry Read in January.
Judge Beverly J. Cannone listened to arguments from both sides and announced that she would take the matter under advisement, without issuing a decision on Friday.
Karen Read's Motion to Dismiss: Arguments Presented in Massachusetts Court
Upon arriving at the Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts, Read faced a divided crowd. Some demonstrators cheered her and held signs that read "Free Karen" and "Framed," while others chanted "Cop killer" as she approached the courthouse.
Jackson and Yannetti had argued during the June trial that the allegations against Read were part of an elaborate cover-up and frame job. After a lengthy trial and 26 hours of deliberation, the jury remained deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial declared by Cannone on July 1.
Karen Read's Motion to Dismiss: Arguments Presented in Massachusetts Court
Prosecutors claimed that on the night of January 28, 2022, an argument between O'Keefe and Read escalated into a deadly confrontation when Read intentionally backed into O'Keefe with her SUV. They further alleged that she left him to die in front of a Canton home during a blizzard.
Read's defense countered that the family who owned the home where O'Keefe was found had framed her as part of a complex cover-up. Authorities discovered O'Keefe's body on the front lawn of this influential family with deep connections to law enforcement.
Karen Read's Motion to Dismiss: Arguments Presented in Massachusetts Court
The case has sparked controversy and divided the Boston community, with some blaming Read for O'Keefe's death and others believing in her innocence.
The jurors who presided over the June trial acknowledged their deep divisions due to "deeply held convictions," expressing in a note to the judge that "a consensus is unattainable."
Karen Read's Motion to Dismiss: Arguments Presented in Massachusetts Court
O'Keefe's brother, Paul O'Keefe, expressed outrage at Read's behavior in the aftermath of the trial, stating that she has been living her life as if nothing had happened. He also criticized the supporters who cheered for her outside the courthouse.
The jurors' inability to reach a consensus has raised concerns about the possibility of a retrial. Stay tuned for further updates on the Karen Read case as it unfolds in the Massachusetts court system.
Karen Read's Motion to Dismiss: Arguments Presented in Massachusetts Court
