Court video: Watch hearing in Karen Read murder case 2 weeks before start of retrial

7 hours ago 1

The prosecution and defense in the Karen Read murder case will convene for a final pre-trial conference on Tuesday in front of Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone ahead of the start of the Mansfield woman’s second trial in just two weeks.

Karen Read tells her story in exclusive one-on-one interview: Watch the extended cut

Read is accused of hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022, and leaving him to die after a night of drinking. The defense has sought to portray Read as the victim, saying O’Keefe was actually killed inside the Albert family home and then dragged outside and left for dead.

In new court paperwork filed Monday, special prosecutor Hank Brennan claimed Read’s defense provided selective information to federal investigators in an attempt to shape their probe into the case. As 25 Investigates first reported, the federal investigation has concluded with no charges filed.

The federal investigation was focused on local and state law enforcement, as well as allegations that Read had been set up for the murder of O’Keefe.

Brennan on Tuesday is expected to ask Cannone to bar any mention of the federal probe during Read’s upcoming retrial, which starts with jury selection on April 1.

All stand as the jury files out to the courtroom, to start their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read jurors tell judge they’ve been unable to reach unanimous verdict

Day 3 of jury deliberations finishes without verdict in Karen Read trial

Karen Read awaits the juries verdict in her murder case at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP)

Defense attorneys in Karen Read murder trial argue with judge over jury verdict slip

Some witnesses are in the courtroom on Tuesday include Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Jennifer McCabe.

Karen Read, center right, is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read smiles after listening to her attorney Alan Jackson during her trial at Norfolk County Superior Court, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

Karen Read sits with her legal team team in court Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool)

Brennan also wants to block former FBI agent Michael Easter from testifying for the defense about police work that led to Read’s arrest. He claims that Easter is not qualified to give an opinion on the quality of the investigation or what he called “alleged inadequacies” by police.

Read is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in injury or death. She has pleaded not guilty.

Last week, a U.S. District Court judge refused to dismiss Read’s second-degree murder charge. Her attorneys had argued double jeopardy, claiming deadlocked jurors in the first trial told them that they were never going to convict her on that charge.

In July 2024, Cannone declared a mistrial after the jurors deadlocked.

Tuesday’s hearing is listed as the final pre-trial conference but it’s unclear if this will be the last time Read and her team will be in court again before April 1.

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