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Defense request to delay start of Karen Read trial denied, for now
OUR JENNIFER EGAN REPORTS FROM THE DEDHAM COURTHOUSE. THE MOTION BY THE DEFENSE TO DELAY THE START OF THE CASE TO THE END OF APRIL WAS PROMPTLY DENIED BY JUDGE BEVERLY CANNON. SHE SAID THAT JURY SELECTION ON THIS CASE IS EXPECTED TO TAKE WEEKS. IT WILL BEGIN ON APRIL 1ST AS PLANNED. JUDGE CANNON SAID IF THE PROCESS IS COMPLETE BEFORE APRIL 25TH, THEY COULD DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF PUSHING BACK THE FIRST DAY OF TESTIMONY. ALSO THIS MORNING, A DRAMATIC MOMENT INVOLVING THE WITNESS INTIMIDATION CASE AGAINST AIDAN CARNEY, THE BLOGGER KNOWN AS TURTLE BOY. SPECIAL PROSECUTOR HANK BRENNAN ARGUED BEFORE A DIFFERENT JUDGE THAT PROSECUTORS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO PHONE RECORDS BETWEEN KAREN REED AND AIDAN CARNEY. WHILE THAT HEARING WAS UNDERWAY, KAREN REED AND HER DEFENSE TEAM WALKED INTO THE COURTROOM AND SHE SAT DOWN, HER LAWYER SAID SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SIT IN ON THAT HEARING. BRENNAN QUESTIONED WHY SHE WAS THERE. THE JUDGE AGREED SHE COULD STAY. FIRST, YOU’LL HEAR FROM BRENNAN, WHO IS MAKING THE CASE. THE MESSAGES WILL SPEAK TO REED’S CONSCIOUSNESS OF GUILT, AND THEN YOU’LL HEAR FROM CARNEY’S ATTORNEY. WHAT WE EXPECT EVIDENCE WILL SHOW SEPARATELY AND IN MR. CARNEY’S PHONE IS THAT THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KAREN REED AND MR. CARNEY IN WHICH MR. REED WOULD PROVIDE INFORMATION INDIRECTLY AND DIRECTLY TO MR. CARNEY. THAT INFORMATION WOULD THEN BE REVIEWED BY MR. CARNEY, POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND CONSEQUENTLY WAS USED. WE BELIEVE, ALLEGEDLY TO INTIMIDATE AND HARASS WITNESSES. ALL THE GOVERNMENT SAYS FOR WHY THEY CAN SEARCH SOMEONE’S PHONE. IS THAT THE FACT OF COMMUNICATION? THEY TALKED. SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY SAID. YOU KNOW, THAT’S PRETTY CHILLING. THE JUDGE IS EXPECTED TO RULE ON THIS ISSUE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. GOING BACK TO THIS FINAL SCHEDULED PRETRIAL HEARING FOR KAREN REED’S CASE. SEVERAL MORE MOTIONS ARE ON THE DOCKET AS THE JUDGE DECIDES WHICH WITNESSES AND WHAT EVIDENCE WILL BE ALLOWED IN FOR THIS
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Defense request to delay start of Karen Read trial denied, for now
Updated: 1:01 PM EDT Mar 20, 2025
Karen Read’s case returned to court on Thursday for a hearing on several motions that need to be resolved before the trial begins in less than two weeks. Judge Beverly Cannone promptly denied the defense’s request to delay the start of the trial, which is scheduled for April 1.Cannone, who had expressed reluctance to change the schedule because of the large jury pool, said it will take a few weeks to seat a jury. She said if a jury is in place by April 25 and the federal appeals court has not issued a ruling on the defense’s request to drop two charges, she may revisit the request to delay the trial.Before the hearing began, there was a dramatic moment involving the witness intimidation case against Aidan Kearney, the blogger known as Turtleboy. Special prosecutor Hank Brennan made his case before a different judge that prosecutors should have access to phone records between Read and Kearney. While that hearing was underway, Read and her defense team walked into the courtroom and sat down.Her lawyers said she should be able to sit in on the hearing, and the judge agreed. The judge is expected to rule on the issue in the next few days.Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022.Meanwhile, a list of potential witnesses the prosecution may call now includes Read’s attorneys, Alan Jackson, Elizabeth Little and David Yanetti, according to an amended list of names released Thursday.Prosecutors noted that it may be necessary to call defense counsels to “authenticate the defendant’s numerous public statements.” Earlier this week, Cannone scolded Read’s attorneys but said that Read had decided to continue with her current team. Cannone said she determined that defense attorneys deliberately misled her about their relationship with two expert witnesses who testified at the first trial. The defense presented those witnesses as independent but later admitted to paying them after the first trial ended in a hung jury.”Based on all the evidence, I conclude that there has not been the candor required of all lawyers — (that) has not been demonstrated here. I find that there have been repeated misrepresentations made to the court by defense counsel and I conclude that they were deliberate,” Cannone said. 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, 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 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.Her second trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on April 1.
DEDHAM, Mass. —
Karen Read’s case returned to court on Thursday for a hearing on several motions that need to be resolved before the trial begins in less than two weeks.
Judge Beverly Cannone promptly denied the defense’s request to delay the start of the trial, which is scheduled for April 1.
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Cannone, who had expressed reluctance to change the schedule because of the large jury pool, said it will take a few weeks to seat a jury. She said if a jury is in place by April 25 and the federal appeals court has not issued a ruling on the defense’s request to drop two charges, she may revisit the request to delay the trial.
Before the hearing began, there was a dramatic moment involving the witness intimidation case against Aidan Kearney, the blogger known as Turtleboy.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan made his case before a different judge that prosecutors should have access to phone records between Read and Kearney. While that hearing was underway, Read and her defense team walked into the courtroom and sat down.
Her lawyers said she should be able to sit in on the hearing, and the judge agreed. The judge is expected to rule on the issue in the next few days.
Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside of a home in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022.
Meanwhile, a list of potential witnesses the prosecution may call now includes Read’s attorneys, Alan Jackson, Elizabeth Little and David Yanetti, according to an amended list of names released Thursday.
Prosecutors noted that it may be necessary to call defense counsels to “authenticate the defendant’s numerous public statements.”
Earlier this week, Cannone scolded Read’s attorneys but said that Read had decided to continue with her current team. Cannone said she determined that defense attorneys deliberately misled her about their relationship with two expert witnesses who testified at the first trial. The defense presented those witnesses as independent but later admitted to paying them after the first trial ended in a hung jury.
“Based on all the evidence, I conclude that there has not been the candor required of all lawyers — (that) has not been demonstrated here. I find that there have been repeated misrepresentations made to the court by defense counsel and I conclude that they were deliberate,” Cannone said.
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, 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 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.
Her second trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on April 1.
Boston Live News