What's New
A judge ruled to seal some of the evidence ahead of Karen Read's upcoming retrial because it could overlap with another pending criminal case.
In a document added to Read's case record on Wednesday, Judge Beverly Cannone agreed to grant a motion by the prosecution to seal communications shared with the defense.
Why It Matters
Read 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. She is facing charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death.
Read's first trial began on April 16. On July 1, the judge declared a mistrial after the jury declared itself deadlocked on the fifth day of deliberations.
What To Know
Prosecutors stated that some discovery materials being used in Read's case "may be evidence in an unrelated pending criminal case." They called for the court to approve the motion in order to maintain "the well-established privacy and safety interests of witnesses and the victim's family."
The motion was filed with agreement from the defense.
Cannone granted the prosecution's motion on November 25.
The filing did not provide any additional details on what communications are being sealed or what pending criminal case the evidence may overlap with.
O'Keefe was found dead in Canton outside the home of another Boston police officer on January 29, 2022. Read dropped him off the previous night for a party at the residence. She was arrested and charged three days later.
Her retrial was originally scheduled to begin in January of next year, but it was delayed after Cannone granted a joint motion filed by the prosecution and defense.
What People Are Saying
Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan, arguing to delay the trial: "Although it does delay the case if you allow this motion, I think it will make for a shorter, more effective, efficient trial, and I think it will be, importantly, more fair to the parties involved."
What Happens Next
Read's retrial is scheduled to start in April 2025. Cannone asked the prosecution and defense to prepare a scheduling order for her to consider.
Cannone is also hearing arguments on whether a dog bite expert should be allowed to testify at Read's trial. The defense has argued that O'Keefe could have been attacked by a German Shepherd belonging to the Albert family. O'Keefe was found dead outside of their home. Questioning of Dr. Marie Russell began on December 12 and will resume on January 7.
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