Karen Read defense faces ‘high-wire’ act as retrial’s opening statements kick off, experts say

Karen Read retrial begins in Boston cop John O’Keefe’s murder case

Jury selection continued Tuesday for a sixth day in the Karen Read trial as more jurors were added inside Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts for the first time since Thursday. With a jury nearing completion, Read said that opening statements in the trial could be a week away.

Prosecutors accuse Read of hitting and killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow outside a home in Canton in January 2022.

Three jurors were added Tuesday, though one who had previously been added was dismissed for personal reasons. That leaves the jury currently with six men and six women with at least 16 people needed for the trial to begin. Jury selection will resume on Wednesday.

Speaking after court on Tuesday, Read told reporters that she expects opening statements could begin on Tuesday with the defense opening given by Alan Jackson. Last trial, David Yannetti, one of Read’s other attorneys, gave the opening statement.

“I’m anxious and it’s in God’s hands” Read said outside court Tuesday afternoon, “and we are fighting and working as hard as we can so what else can we do?”

Karen Read trial

Read argues that she is being framed by several people, including law enforcement.

Read has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. Her first trial ended with a mistrial due to hung jury.

Last week, Read filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking for two charges against her to be thrown out on grounds of double jeopardy. On Monday, her attorneys issued another filing to the Supreme Court, asking them to delay her trial until the court decides if it will take up her appeal.

Karen Read jury selection

Over the first three days of jury selection last week, the jury grew to five men and five women. But on Friday and Monday, the judge and attorneys failed to add any more jurors.

On Tuesday, 47 people were brought in for the jury selection process, bringing the total to 382 who have come through over six days. In the five days it took to find a jury for Read’s first trial, 403 people were brought through the courtroom.

The process begins each morning with group questioning. The jury pool is asked if they know witnesses, or other questions that could impact their service.

Each day has led to similar results. The large majority of prospective jurors each day has said they have heard of Read’s high-profile case. Many candidates have said they have formed an opinion, and some have developed a bias toward one side or the other.

During Tuesday’s questioning, 45 out of the 47 people had heard of the case. Of those, 27 had formed an opinion and 15 said they have a bias.

After filling out paperwork, jurors meet individually with Judge Beverly Cannone and attorneys. They are either added to the jury or sent home.

“Even if we add one or two a day, I think out of a pool of 40 to 50 in a county that is so deeply involved and divided about this case, I think, is a decent amount,” WBZ Legal Analyst Katherine Loftus said. “I think it’s indicative of that the general public is maybe not as quite as involved as some of us may have thought.”

The jury so far is half men and half women, and mostly White, from what has been observed in the courtroom.

“Whether it’s a diversity via a gender makeup or racial makeup, or really a socioeconomic makeup, it really doesn’t matter as long as you have different people of different backgrounds contributing to the deliberations on these charges,” Loftus said.

How to watch Karen Read trial

The Karen Read trial will be streaming live on CBS News Boston from opening statements right through the verdict.