DEDHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether to drop some of the criminal charges against Karen Read.
Read’s legal team tried to convince the justices that two of the three charges against her in connection with death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe should be dropped, including second-degree murder.
“Today’s appeal goes to the core issues regarding double jeopardy protections that safeguard defendants, and in this case, Ms. Read,” said Martin Weinberg, Read’s defense attorney.
Read, seated in court alongside her parents, is accused of running over O’Keefe with her SUV, leaving him to die in a snowstorm in Canton in January 2022.
Her first trial ended in a mistrial back in June. Shortly after, Read’s defense attorneys said five jurors came forward indicating they were only deadlocked on the second charge of manslaughter and were all in agreement that she wasn’t guilty on the two other counts.
According to prosecutors, that information was never revealed to the judge, so they claim there is no basis for dismissing any charges.
“The judge did inform counsel that the jury was at an impasse, and I would argue, at this point, it is clear that a mistrial is inevitable or unavoidable,” said prosecutor Caleb Schillinger.
O’Keefe’s family left the courthouse without comment Wednesday. Read and her family left the courthouse maintaining her innocence.
“My daughter is factually innocent,” said her father, William Read.
It is unclear when the SJC will rule on dismissing the two charges.
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