By Michael Casey, Associated Press
Dedham, Mass. (AP) – The second trial for murder of Karen Read, whose case sparked a national debate on the responsibility of the police and won his legions of dedicated fans, will begin on Tuesday with the two parties exposing contradictory theories on the way in which his Boston police friend found himself dead.
Read is accused of hitting John O’Keefe with his SUV in 2022 and to let him die alone in the snow outside a party at home in the city of Canton, a suburb of about 20 miles south of Boston. She was accused of second -degree murder, involuntary homicide guilty when driving a vehicle under the influence and exit of the premises.
In the first trial of last year, the prosecutors said that reading had intentionally fell to O’Keefe after having dropped him off during a party at home and returned a few hours later to find him dead. The defense said that she had been the victim of a vast police plot and that O’Keefe had been fatally beaten by another police officer at the party.
A trial was declared last year after the jurors declared that they were an impasse and that the deliberation would be futile.
After the trial, the defense interrupted two of the charges rejected after declaring that several jurors were rejected to say that the group was unanimous to note that reading not guilty of second degree murder and leaving the scene. The United States Supreme Court has refused a reading request to delay its trial for double incrimination reasons.
A few dozen supporters of Read, many holding American flags, stood in front of the courthouse on Tuesday morning before moving a pâté of houses to comply with a buffer area ordered by the court. Those who gathered in their arms, while others took the time to put the newcomers aware of the case.
“I am here for justice,” said Ashlyn Wade, a canton reading supporter. “The murderer going to prison and Karen exempt, it would be justice.”
Many factors that have made the first essential television test will be presented in the second.
Many of the same witnesses are back, as is the aggressive defense team of Read and dozens of their supporters camped near the courthouse – many carrying “Karen Read” panels and bearing pink. Read, which was presented in several documentaries on his case, has become a minor celebrity.
The biggest difference will be the main prosecutor, Hank Brennan. Presented as a special prosecutor after the trial, the former defense lawyer has represented a number of eminent customers, including the notorious gangster of Boston James “Whitey” Bulger.
Brennan should benefit from a preliminary decision of judge Beverly Cannone that defense lawyers cannot mention potential third party culprits in their opening declarations. They can develop a case against two agents of the police but cannot involve Albert’s nephew, Colin Albert, as they did during the first trial.
“I consider that this is a blow for the defense strategy, but not as a punch,” said Daniel Medwed, a law professor at the Northeastern University, about the decision. “All that the defense must do is create a reasonable doubt about Karen’s guilt (Read), and that does not require pointing another author in law.”
Legal experts expect prosecutors to focus on Read’s behavior as they did during the first trial – his volatile relationship with O’Keefe and their overnight consumption of alcohol. They also predict that the accusation will expose a stronger and more coherent case which read O’Keefe cut with the back of its SUV and sent it to fall on the ground – using data from his car, his video and his testimony as a stronger expert.
“The Commonwealth will focus on the theme that has been broken for from us since the college – Drink, Driver, Deadly consequences,” said Michael Coyne, the dean of the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover, in an e -mail, adding that he expects that the prosecutors avoid the errors of the first trial, where several of their first witnesses seemed to help the defense more than the state.
Defense should provide evidence that what they consider to be a botched police investigation was biased and that law enforcement agents were read to protect real killers. They could be helped by an audit of the canton police service released last month which found several errors with the investigation – although no evidence of concealment.
One of the main witnesses will be the former soldier of the State Michael Proctor. He has conducted the investigation but has since been dismissed after a disciplinary council discovered that he sent sexist and coarse text messages on Read to his family and colleagues.
“Michael Proctor and his dismissal of the force can very well serve as an elephant in the courtroom throughout the procedure,” said Medwed.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
