NOT GUILTY MA - Professor Karen Read, 43, charged with murdering police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe by hitting him with car, Canton, 14 Apr 2023 #37 Retrial

[Cardinal47]

I hope the next note from the jury reads “we have reached verdicts on all counts but can’t figure out how to fill out the form”!

Ridiculous. Same as last time! C’mon Massachusetts you can do better!

 

[lohrtabitha]

This judge absolutely loves the chaos. She is so condescending to the defense. Love it when they snap back!

It’s clear that she is engineering a mistrial, hence the non-answer to their question regarding verdict for different counts, and the lack of movement on changing the verdict slip.

What happened to the jury staying daily until 4:30 …. Oh, only if it’s going the way she wants hey?

Absolute joke.

IMO

Maybe her own demise will work against her in this one. The jury thinking if the judge can't be more helpful with the slip, then we won't convict on any. imo

 

[MerlinFalcon]

Yes , I agree with all of this. And to be fair, we don't know what her BAC was at that time. There was no test performed, so how could they convict on this without proper justification?

That’s my feeling. I know she drank way too much at the two bars. But she didn’t have a breathalyzer outside of 34 Fairview or at John’s. She may have drank more at his place. Or, maybe not. So much reasonable doubt.

 

[Tortoise]

Good morning! I woke up this morning with this verdict slip confusion on my mind and literally already have a headache. LOL! I think I have confused myself at this point and I might be looking at the pre-amended verdict slip, so before I jump into my question, can someone direct me to the amended verdict slip (the ones the jurors have before them today)? Thank you!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1933608276303691894

 

[Tortoise]

There are three charges, and the defense specifically requested the lesser included charges on charge number two as other options. Prosecution only requested manslaughter while OUI.

https://x.com/KristinaRex

 

[Izzylizzy]

John Depetro is getting roasted on Court TV right now.
Love this for him.
IMO.

Why Court TV gives JD a platform to spew his absolute nonsense is one of life's little mysteries.

By them doing so says more about CourtTV then JD.

Vinnie should hang his head in shame and Julie Grant has no shame to hang.
IMO

 

[justbeachy]

Thank you! Kristina Rex tweeted this on June 13 and these are the ones I was looking at but when Judge Bev said yesterday that she "amended the verdict slips" after the jurors questions, I took that to mean there would be a newer version at that point. I must have misunderstood Judge Bev (shocking, I know!).

MA v. Karen Read Murder Retrial: Daily Trial Updates

Karen Read stood trial for a second time on charges she murdered her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe.

www.courttv.com

• Question #3 – Does convicting guilty on a subcharge, example offense 2, number 5 convict the overall charge? I have amended the verdict slip, and it’s going to be a little bit easier to follow.

 

[Tortoise]

Thank you! Kristina Rex tweeted this on June 13 and these are the ones I was looking at but when Judge Bev said yesterday that she "amended the verdict slips" after the jurors questions, I took that to mean there would be a newer version at that point. I must have misunderstood Judge Bev (shocking, I know!).

MA v. Karen Read Murder Retrial: Daily Trial Updates

Karen Read stood trial for a second time on charges she murdered her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe.

www.courttv.com

• Question #3 – Does convicting guilty on a subcharge, example offense 2, number 5 convict the overall charge? I have amended the verdict slip, and it’s going to be a little bit easier to follow.

Ah yes, I'm not sure if she has a copy of the amended version from yesterday.

I only found this -

https://twitter.com/x/status/1935008349021417534

 

[sapphire blue]

No verdict watch for me tonight or morning ( Australia), semester work presentation in the morning so sleep is necessary tonight.

 

[geevee]

This might not be allowed, but are y’all hearing that Massachusetts doesn’t allow partial verdicts? which is why they won’t put not guilty next to the lessers….

This case is floating around to back that claim up. I don’t understand the verbiage though. It’s kind of like reading a bunch of double negatives

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1086156.html

I only got about halfway through the case before my eyes glazed over at the legal-speak, but apparently there isn't supposed to be a not guilty line to check on the lesser includeds, the foreperson is just supposed to leave it blank and sign the form if not guilty. Answers that question about JBC's instructions. As far as I read, it doesn't answer the question the jury had, if marking one of the lessers, does that also mean the top charge is guilty, or just the lesser.

The case cited (and verdict form) was even more confusing than in this case, don't know how the jurors were supposed to figure that out, even as much as that judge tried to help them.

Mass. legislature, you really need to go back to work on all of this, your procedures seem to be designed to create confusion where it need not exist.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

I'm here waiting for a NG verdict

 

[arielilane]

-- Rather interesting questions:

“If we find not guilty on two charges but can’t agree on one charge, is it a hung jury on all three charges or just one charge?”

-- It is also interesting that the question referenced the defendant by her first name:

Court TV 2:46:35

Judge: "are the videos clips of Karen’s interviews as evidence how can we consider them?"

02:43:49 1 - 3 JURY QUESTIONS

-- The defense who previously appealed a hung jury decision to the SC now tells Judge Cannone to ignore a question focused on a hung jury.

-- Are most of the jurors choosing manslaughter and one or two holdouts?
Why... Attorney Brennan and his team did extraordinary work on this case.

Matter of opinion

Please note, this is not an attack on the jury - this is an observation.

Edit: added jury question

judge reads hung jury question - David Bienick.mp4

drive.google.com

 

[justbeachy]

Can someone please help me untangle my brain? Regarding charge #2, I can't figure out how the jury would fill out this form if they find her NG on manslaughter, but are hung on the OUI lesser charge. It would seem that this slip gives the jury no option to find NG on manslaughter and hang on that.

Assuming they all agree she is NG of manslaughter, if they also all agree she is NG on OUI, they would check box 1.

Assuming they all agree she is NG of manslaughter, if they also all agree she is guilty on OUI, they would check box 5 (and potentially the motor vehicle/.08% boxes).

But, if they all agree she is NG on manslaughter, but are hung on JUST on box 5, how do they fill out this form??

Please explain this to me like I'm a 5 year old because I have confused the heck out of myself. LOL

 

[Alcina]

The crowd outside the courthouse is already huge. I know they're hoping for a verdict today just as much as we are.
Can't wait to hear NOT GUILTY

 

[Alcina]

Just saw Brennan arrive. Looks like the defense team just pulled up and heading in.

 

[Forest_Wood]

That is very clear now.

 

[Leilei]

Sue O'Connell is reporting that they're getting a late start due to a participant having vehicle problems.
IMO.
ETA - corrected spelling

 

[Leilei]

That is very clear now.

Much better.

 

[arielilane]

@_kbenoit


Good morning from Dedham. Courtroom is open. I’m here. Defense team is in the courtroom. O’Keefe family is downstairs.

Alessi is chatting with Read’s parents.

8:56 AM · Jun 18, 2025

 

[kuromiiiilove]

-- Rather interesting questions:

“If we find not guilty on two charges but can’t agree on one charge, is it a hung jury on all three charges or just one charge?”

-- It is also interesting that the question referenced the defendant by her first name:

Court TV 2:46:35

Judge: "are the videos clips of Karen’s interviews as evidence how can we consider them?"

02:43:49 1 - 3 JURY QUESTIONS

-- The defense who previously appealed a hung jury decision to the SC now tells Judge Cannone to ignore a question focused on a hung jury.

-- Are most of the jurors choosing manslaughter and one or two holdouts?
Why... Attorney Brennan and his team did extraordinary work on this case.

Matter of opinion

Please note, this is not an attack on the jury - this is an observation.

Edit: added jury question

judge reads hung jury question - David Bienick.mp4

drive.google.com

IMO they’re not hung on manslaughter at all, they’re hung on OUI.