The high-profile case of Karen Read, accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, takes another turn in the legal system.
According to Newsweek, the Supreme Court declined on Monday to review an appeal seeking the dismissal of two charges against Read, whose retrial is currently taking place in Massachusetts following last year's mistrial.
The appeal centered on Read's legal team's argument that murder and leaving the scene charges should be dismissed based on jurors' alleged unanimous agreement to acquit her of these charges during deliberations in the first trial, though this decision was never officially announced in court before the mistrial declaration.
Read's attorneys, Michael Pabian and Martin G. Weinberg, filed the petition on April 1, contending that retrying their client on these charges would violate the Fifth Amendment's protection against double jeopardy. They emphasized the unusual circumstance of multiple jurors directly contacting defense counsel about their intent to acquit.
First Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Lara Montecalvo previously rejected this argument in March, stating that no formal ruling or acquittal had taken place during the first trial.
The Supreme Court's decision to not hear the appeal came without comment, listing Read's case among several others declined for review.
The current proceedings have focused heavily on digital evidence, particularly regarding a controversial Google search made by Jennifer McCabe, a friend of O'Keefe.
Ian Whiffin, a digital forensics examiner at Cellebrite, provided testimony about the timing of McCabe's search for "how long to die in the cold." While the defense claims the search occurred at 2:27 a.m., Whiffin supported the prosecution's timeline, confirming the search was made at 6:23 a.m.
The timing of this search has become a crucial point of contention, as McCabe previously testified that she conducted the search at Read's request around 6:20 a.m.
Read faces three serious charges: second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. The charges stem from allegations that she fatally struck O'Keefe with her car in 2022.
The prosecution has presented testimony from various witnesses, including paramedics, O'Keefe's friends and mother, a doctor, and a digital forensics expert from Massachusetts State Police.
A parallel civil case adds another layer to the legal proceedings, with O'Keefe's estate filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Read, though these proceedings have been temporarily suspended pending the outcome of the criminal case.
Karen Read's retrial continues in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts, where she faces potential life imprisonment if convicted of murder. The case stems from the January 2022 death of John O'Keefe, a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department. The trial is expected to last between six and eight weeks, with testimony from key witnesses ongoing and digital evidence playing a crucial role in establishing the timeline of events surrounding O'Keefe's death.
