Karen Read's attorneys seek to dismiss 2 charges, reveal how jury may have voted in trial
BOSTON – Karen Read's defense attorneys Alan Jackson and David Yannetti claim in a new court filing that the jury in the high-profile Massachusetts murder trial was in unanimous agreement on two of the charges. The filing was made in an effort to dismiss some of the charges against Read.
Read is accused of hitting and killing Boston police officer John O'Keefe, who she was dating at the time, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow in 2022. Her defense attorneys say she is being framed and O'Keefe was killed during a fight, then dragged outside and left on the front lawn of a Canton home.
The monthslong trial, which gained national attention, ended last week in a mistrial due to a "starkly divided" hung jury.
How the Karen Read murder trial jury voted
Read's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss on Monday. In the motion, Jackson says a juror contacted him the day after the mistrial was declared.
According to Jackson, the jury unanimously agreed that Read should be found not guilty of second degree murder as well as leaving the scene leaving the scene of personal injury and death. Jackson did not reveal what the jury voted on the charge of manslaughter while operating under the influence.
The defense attorney said Judge Beverly Cannone did not provide Read's lawyers the opportunity to be heard when the jury indicated for a final time that it was at an impasse. He also said in the new court filing that Cannone did not ask the jury foreperson what counts the jury was at an impasse on.
"Had the Court so inquired, it appears clear that NOT GUILTY verdicts would have been recorded for Count 1 and Count 3. Ms. Read was denied her right to receive those verdicts in her favor," Jackson wrote.
What jurors said about Karen Read trial
Yannetti said he was contacted by two informants who received information from two separate jurors. Yannetti said one of the informants provided screenshots with a juror who said "I thought the prosecution didn't prove the case. No one thought she hit him on purpose…"
Yannetti claimed that he also spoke to a person who joined a Zoom meeting with a third juror who they work with. That person claimed that the juror said during the meeting that polling for the manslaughter began with an even split and ended deadlocked with eight people voting guilty and four not guilty.
In the motion, defense attorneys argue Read should not face a second trial on two of the counts because of double jeopardy.
No deciding jurors have publicly commented on the trial. One alternate juror spoke to WBZ-TV about what it was like being a part of the trial.
When will Karen Read's new trial date be decided?
The Norfolk District Attorney's office said minutes after the mistrial was declared that they plan to re-try the case. Prosecutors responded to the new filings on Monday with a brief statement.
"The Norfolk DA's Office is examining the motion in anticipation of filing a response. We look forward to picking a new trial date on July 22," the DA said.
Karen Read adds new attorney
In a separate filing on Monday, Read also added an additional attorney to her legal team.
Attorney Martin Weinberg filed to become one of Read's attorneys "for the limited purpose of representing the defendant in regards to litigating the Motion to Dismiss."