DEDHAM, Mass. — Prosecutors in the Karen Read murder case have asked Judge Beverly Cannone to seal materials connected to “an unrelated pending criminal case,” court documents show.
In a one-page Norfolk Superior Court filing obtained by Boston 25 News, special prosecutor Hank Brennan asked Judge Beverly Cannone to “establish a protective order restricting the public dissemination of all communications” that the prosecution shared with Read’s legal team on Nov. 26, 2024.
“This order is necessary to effectuate the well-established privacy and safety interests of witnesses and the victim’s family,” the prosecution stated in the filing. “Furthermore, certain materials being provided as discovery in this case may be evidence in an unrelated pending criminal case.”
The filing didn’t offer any specific details on the other criminal case mentioned in the filing and Read’s lawyers didn’t oppose the prosecution’s request.
Read, 44, is accused of hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV in January 2022 and leaving him to die in a snowstorm in Canton after a night of drinking.
The defense has sought to portray Read as the victim, saying O’Keefe was actually killed inside fellow police officer Brian Albert’s home and then dragged outside and left for dead.
Earlier this month, Cannone approved a motion from both the prosecution and defense to push the start of Read’s second murder trial back three months from January to April 2025.
Karen Read and John O'Keefe 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) (Pat Greenhouse/AP) Karen Read jurors tell judge they’ve been unable to reach unanimous verdict 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 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) (Greg Derr/AP) Closing arguments in Karen Read trial Defense attorneys in Karen Read murder trial argue with judge over jury verdict slip Defense attorneys in Karen Read murder trial argue with judge over jury verdict slip Streets lined with Karen Read supporters as her fate rests in hands of the jury Streets lined with Karen Read supporters as her fate rests in hands of the jury Norfolk Superior Court Dedham Some witnesses are in the courtroom on Tuesday include Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Jennifer McCabe. Karen Read trial 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) (Kayla Bartkowski/(Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)) Karen Read trial 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) (Kayla Bartkowski/(Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)) Karen Read murder trial 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) (Charles Krupa/AP) Karen Read and Officer O'Keefe Karen Read 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) (David McGlynn/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)) Karen Read 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) (David McGlynn/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)) Karen Read opening statements begin The prosecution and defense have said that delaying the retrial would create a “more efficient” presentation of evidence.
Days after Read’s first trial ended with a hung jury and a mistrial , Cannone scheduled Read’s retrial for Jan. 27, 2025.
The SJC is currently determining if jurors who sat through Read’s first trial will be questioned about their deliberations. The SJC will issue a written decision that could take months before it is published.
Read’s lawyers have been fighting to dismiss her second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a deadly crash charge for double jeopardy reasons after multiple jurors told them that the jury agreed to acquit on those counts. Double jeopardy is a legal protection that prohibits anyone from being prosecuted twice for the same crime.
The Office of Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey opposes Read’s bid to get the charges dropped and argues that Cannone was correct when she ruled all of Read’s charges should remain for her retrial.
Cannone also recently denied Brennan’s request for phone records from Read’s parents.
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