DEDHAM, Mass. — Karen Read , the woman accused in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe, is in court for a new hearing on Thursday morning after Judge Beverly Cannone agreed to delay the start of her retrial earlier this week.
Cannone is hearing arguments in Dedham’s Norfolk Superior Court on whether dog bite expert Dr. Marie Russell will be allowed to testify at Read’s second murder trial.
Read’s lawyers have pushed back on the prosecution’s effort to block Russell from taking the stand in her retrial. Russell previously testified regarding O’Keefe’s arm wounds , expressing her belief that a large dog attacked him.
Prosecutors claim that Russell, a retired emergency room doctor and forensic pathologist, isn’t a qualified expert in dog bites.
Cannone could also set a new start date for Read’s retrial.
In a new filing on Monday, 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.
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 for the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe will be questioned about their deliberations. The SJC will issue a written decision that could take four months before it is published.
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 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 . Double jeopardy is a legal protection that prohibits anyone from being prosecuted twice for the same crime.
Read is accused of hitting O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving him to die after a night of drinking. The defense has sought to portray Read as the victim, saying O’Keefe was actually killed inside Brian Albert’s home and then dragged outside and left for dead.
Morrissey’s office 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 recently denied special prosecutor Hank Brennan’s request for phone records from Read’s parents.
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