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Karen Read’s defense team has made a startling claim regarding the jury’s deliberations in her high-profile trial. According to a motion filed Monday in Norfolk County Superior Court, the lawyers assert that jurors unanimously concluded Read was not guilty of murder or leaving the scene of a deadly accident before the judge declared a mistrial. The defense contends that the jury was only deadlocked on the remaining manslaughter charge.
This revelation comes as Read’s attorneys seek permission from the judge to question all 12 jurors. Their goal is to establish grounds for double jeopardy, potentially preventing the state of Massachusetts from retrying Read on the murder charge. The defense motion is based on information obtained from three jurors who described their conclusions after the trial.
Read faced charges in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. Prosecutors accused her of striking O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm. The defense, however, argued that O’Keefe was killed inside the home of another Boston police officer and that Read was framed as a “convenient outsider.
The mistrial was declared on the fifth day of deliberations after the jury reported being hopelessly deadlocked. The defense team criticizes the judge’s handling of the situation, stating that she announced the mistrial without questioning jurors about individual charges or allowing lawyers from either side to comment.
According to the defense motion, one juror informed Read’s attorneys that the jury voted 12-0 to acquit her of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. The motion requests these charges be dismissed. The jury was reportedly only split on the charge of manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
The defense team also cited second- and third-hand accounts from two other jurors, both indicating agreement on acquitting Read of second-degree murder. This information forms the basis of their request to question the entire jury.
A significant turning point in the two-month trial came when the lead investigator, State Trooper Michael Proctor, was forced to acknowledge sending offensive texts about Read during the investigation. Following the trial, Massachusetts State Police relieved Proctor of duty and opened an internal affairs investigation.
As the legal drama unfolds, Read’s defense team is leveraging this new information to potentially shield their client from further prosecution on the most serious charges. Their strategy hinges on the principle of double jeopardy, which prohibits a defendant from being tried twice for the same crime.
This development adds another layer of complexity to an already controversial case, raising questions about jury deliberations, the declaration of mistrials, and the rights of defendants in high-profile criminal cases. As the court considers the defense’s motion, the outcome could have significant implications for Read’s future and potentially set a precedent for similar cases in Massachusetts.
abcnews.go.com
