Judge Beverly Cannone has denied a motion from the defense to dismiss two out of three charges against Karen Read in the murder case. The decision, which was dated Thursday, comes after defense lawyers filed the motion six weeks ago. The Norfolk County District Attorney’s office expressed satisfaction with the judge’s ruling, stating that it is consistent with long-standing case law. The case will now proceed to trial on January 27, 2025.
Karen Read is facing several charges, including second-degree murder, after allegedly hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her car and leaving him to die outside the Canton home of another Boston police officer in January 2022. However, Read’s defense claims that she is being framed and asserts that O’Keefe actually died after a fight inside the home.
The case has garnered significant public attention during the pretrial phase, with even more attention being drawn once the first trial began in late April. Over 70 witnesses were called by both the prosecution and the defense before the case was handed over to the jury in late June. However, after nearly five days of deliberations, the jury was unable to reach a verdict, leading Judge Cannone to declare a mistrial.
Following the mistrial, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office expressed its intention to retry Read. Meanwhile, Read’s defense attorneys vowed to continue fighting the allegations against her. During this period, the defense claims to have heard from several jurors who believed Read was not guilty of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident causing death. They asserted that the jury was only deadlocked on the charge of manslaughter.
In their filings, the defense argued that Judge Cannone mishandled the final days of the trial, leading to confusion among the jurors. They contended that retrying Read on the charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident would amount to double jeopardy, as the jury allegedly reached an agreement during deliberations. The prosecution countered this argument, stating that deliberations are private and that the alleged agreement among the jurors would not constitute an acquittal because no verdict was delivered in open court.
Last month, Judge Cannone held a hearing to hear arguments from both the defense and the prosecution. After careful consideration, she concluded in her 21-page decision this week that there was no risk of subjecting Read to double jeopardy on all the charges since there was no acquittal on any of the charges in the defendant’s first trial. She cited legal precedent to support her decision, emphasizing that the bar on retrials following acquittals is a fundamental rule in the history of double jeopardy jurisprudence.
This ruling paves the way for a new trial for Karen Read, with the charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident still standing. The case continues to unfold, and further updates can be expected. Stay tuned to 7NEWS for the latest developments on-air and online.
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