The defense, comprised of David Yannetti and Alan Jackson, has asked Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone to move the location of the jury box so jurors can clearly see the faces of witnesses when testimony begins, according to filings obtained by Boston 25 News.
Yannetti and Jackson argue in the filings that the current setup of the court “violates her [Karen Read] constitutional right to confrontation because numerous members of the jury will be unable to observe the faces of the witnesses who testify against her.”
The current setup of the court has the witness stand situated right next to the jury box. According to the court filings, at least six jurors will only be able to see the back of the witnesses’ heads during testimony.
Karen Read
Yannetti and Jackson are urging Cannone to adopt their newly proposed seating arrangement, and to illustrate their point, they included multiple photos of Yannetti seated at the witness stand from the vantage point of seats in the jury box.
In the photos included in the filings, Yannetti’s face is not visible at all from juror chairs No. 9 and No. 10. Juror chair No. 11 offers a partial view of his face, while his face is visible from the side in chair No. 12.
Read, 44, of Mansfield, is charged with running down O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in the town of Canton on Jan. 29, 2022.
She has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a collision in connection with O’Keefe’s death.
Read’s defense has argued that she is being framed and that O’Keefe was beaten and attacked by a dog inside the home of another Boston police officer.
The jury selection process in Read’s trial remains incomplete after three days. Twelve jurors are in place but four alternates still need to be seated.
Jurors have been filling out a form of 29 questions – wanting to know if they’ve ever been involved in a march or demonstration showing support for law enforcement or demonstrations against law enforcement.
Jury selection is slated to resume on Monday morning.
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Fatal hit-and-run: Karen Read, 41, of Mansfield, Mass., is charged with manslaughter in the Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, death of Boston police Officer John O’Keefe. O'Keefe, 46, was off duty at the time of his death. (Boston 25 News, Boston Police Department)
Officer Killed Girlfriend Trial FILE - Karen Read sits in court during jury selection for her murder trial at Norfolk County Superior Court, Wednesday, April 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. Read's trial is scheduled to begin Monday, April 29. (David McGlynn//New York Post via AP, Pool,File) (David McGlynn/AP)
Karen Read trial Day 1
Officer Killed Girlfriend Trial Karen Read, left, leaves Norfolk Superior Court with her attorney Alan Jackson, right, after the opening day of her trial, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by intentionally driving her SUV into him. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (Charles Krupa/AP)
APTOPIX Officer Killed Girlfriend Trial Karen Read, right, is flanked by Massachusetts State Police while leaving Norfolk Superior Court after the opening day of her trial, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by intentionally driving her SUV into him. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (Charles Krupa/AP)
Officer Killed Girlfriend Trial Karen Read leaves Norfolk Superior Court after the opening day of her trial, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by intentionally driving her SUV into him. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (Charles Krupa/AP)
Officer Killed Girlfriend Trial FILE - Karen Read, of Mansfield, Mass., center, departs Norfolk Superior Court following a day of jury selection, April 17, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read 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. Read's trial is scheduled to begin Monday, April 29. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) (Steven Senne/AP)
Officer Killed Girlfriend Trial Karen Read leaves Norfolk Superior Court after the opening day of her trial, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by intentionally driving her SUV into him. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (Charles Krupa/AP)
Karen Read opening statements begin
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Karen Read and Officer O'Keefe
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Aidan Kearney, seen here in the green shirt, attends an August hearing in the Karen Read case
Aidan Kearney, seen here in the green shirt, attends an August hearing in the Karen Read case
Karen Read supporters
Karen Read Karen Read, facing a murder charge in the death of an off-duty Boston police officer, was ordered held on $100,000 bail.
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U.S. Attorney ‘does not object’ to release of letters with feds in Karen Read case
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Karen Read new in court
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Officer John O'Keefe
Karen Read John O'Keefe High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer
Karen Read John O'Keefe High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer
Karen Read John O'Keefe High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer
Karen Read John O'Keefe High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer
Karen Read John O'Keefe High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer
Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe (Boston Police Department)
Karen Read is arraigned in Stoughton District court accused of manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston Police officer John O'Keefe Karen Read is arraigned in Stoughton District court accused of manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston Police officer John O'Keefe