After finishing the process of selecting jurors and addressing last-minute motions, Karen Read is now gearing up for her retrial on charges related to the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. The trial will begin next week with the delivery of opening statements.
Karen Read, aged 45 and a former financial analyst and adjunct professor, stands accused of fatally striking her then-partner with a Lexus SUV following a drunken dispute. She allegedly fled the scene, abandoning him to perish in the cold during a blizzard.
Following the initial trial, which resulted in a hung jury, concerns were raised about potential police prejudice, mishandled investigations, and the defense’s assertion that she was being set up for the crime.
“I’ve been ready. I have no choice but to be ready,” Read told reporters on the courthouse steps. “I feel strong. I’ve got an amazing team. And I’m anxious.”
Kearney’s attorney, Timothy Bradl, told the judge that his client would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights if called to the witness stand, and Brennan said that if Kearney planned to do so, he wouldn’t call him as a witness.
Exempting him from the sequestration order will allow him to more fully cover the trial as it plays out.
