Karen Read jury not complete after first three days, selection will continue Monday
DEDHAM – One more juror was added Thursday in Karen Read's Massachusetts murder trial, but selection will not resume until next week as four more people are needed before the trial can get underway.
Prosecutors allege that in 2022, Read hit her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe with her SUV during a snowstorm.
The defense says Read is the victim of a coverup and is being framed by several people, including law enforcement. Read's attorneys argue that O'Keefe was instead killed during a fight inside the Canton home where he was found and dragged outside.
Earlier this week, Judge Beverly Cannone ruled that Read's attorneys will be allowed to make a third-party culprit defense. But Cannone said they can't make the defense in their opening statements, and it must be backed by allowable evidence.
How many jurors have been chosen?
Over the course of the first three days of jury selection, 12 people were chosen. Four were picked on the first day and another seven on Wednesday. Two additional jurors were added Thursday, but one who was added previously was excused from the case.
There will be no selection Friday and the process will continue on Monday.
A jury of at least 16 is required for the trial, which has drawn national attention. There will be 12 jurors and four alternates.
Cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom during the jury selection process.
What it's like picking a jury
On Thursday, the process was the same as the first two days. Dozens of jurors are brought into the courtroom. Initially, the judge ask them questions as a group. People were asked to raise their hand to signify if they may have a bias when it comes to a certain witness or topic.
Then, after filling out a 29-question survey, candidates are called individually to talk with Cannone and attorneys from both sides. They are either dismissed, or selected to the jury.
The pool of candidates on Thursday was smaller than the previous two days. The first two days, there were close to 90 initial candidates. On Thursday, there was a starting pool of 57 prospective jurors.
Of Thursday's initial group, 41 said they have heard of the case. Of those, 20 said they have formed an opinion already.
Legal experts told WBZ-TV at the start of the week that it would likely be a lengthy process to fill the jury because of how much publicity the case has received.
Once a jury is seated, the trial is expected to take 6-8 weeks.