Karen Read's Murder Retrial Delayed After Ruling by Massachusetts Judge

Karen Read's second trial on murder and other charges was pushed back several months by a Massachusetts judge on Monday.

Read is charged with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. She is accused of fatally hitting her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, who worked as a Boston police officer for 16 years, with her car in 2022.

Read's first trial started on April 16. On July 1, the judge declared a mistrial after the jury declared itself deadlocked on the fifth day of deliberations.

Judge Beverly Cannone granted a joint motion by the prosecution and defense to delay the retrial until April 2025. It was initially scheduled to begin on January 27.

In the motion, the prosecution and defense said the delay would give them "adequate" time to prepare for the trial. They also cited new witnesses and testing by experts in their argument.

They said the new start date would "result in a far more efficient and streamlined presentation of evidence by both parties."

Karen Read at a court hearing in Dedham, Massachusetts, on August 9. Read's retrial was pushed back from January to April 2025 after the judge granted a joint motion by the prosecution and defense. Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool

At a hearing last month, defense attorney David Yannetti told the judge that there is "simply not enough time" to prepare for the January start date.

Cannone asked the prosecution and defense to prepare a scheduling order for her to consider during Read's next court appearance on Thursday.

Both sides are also expected to present arguments on whether a witness who plans to speak about possible dog bites on O'Keefe's arm should be allowed to testify.

Cannone has ruled on several key motions ahead of Read's retrial. On Thursday, she approved the two motions by the prosecution related to evidence from print and television interviews.

One motion focused on unredacted audio recordings, notes and texts between Read and a reporter from Boston Magazine in 2023. The other sought access to unredacted footage from a WFXT interview with her parents, William Read and Janet Read.

The judge ruled against the prosecution's request for phone records from William and Janet. She ruled that the motion is "insufficient on its face and fails to meet" legal requirements.

O'Keefe was found dead outside the Canton home of another Boston police officer on January 29, 2022. Karen dropped him off the night before for a party at the residence. She was arrested and charged three days later.

Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.