Karen Read Retrial: Jury Enters Day Two as Verdict Slip Controversy Lingers
With deliberations underway and no verdict yet, the structure of the jury form remains a point of tension in the high-profile Massachusetts case.
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Dedham, June 16 EST: The jury in the high-profile Karen Read murder retrial returned to deliberations Monday with one major point of contention still unresolved — not among jurors, but in the courtroom: the structure of the verdict slip.
Read, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of a deadly accident, stemming from the January 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
The case — and its complications — are once again testing the patience of the Massachusetts judicial system, following a mistrial in July 2024, when the first jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
Legal Drama Reignited by a Piece of Paper
On June 13, after closing arguments wrapped, the jury was instructed and retired to deliberate. Almost immediately, defense attorney Alan Jackson moved to simplify the verdict slip — the official form jurors must complete to deliver a decision.
Jackson argued that the slip, as currently formatted, lacks clarity, especially for the lesser-included offenses tied to second-degree murder. His request? Add explicit “Not Guilty” boxes for each count. “We are in the exact same position as last year,” Jackson said, referencing the confusion that marred the first trial. “This verdict form sets this jury up for the same trouble.”
Judge Beverly Cannone, however, ruled against the motion, saying the slip meets legal standards and reflects Massachusetts precedent.
Jury in the Hot Seat, Again
Twelve jurors — seven women and five men — now shoulder the burden. With six alternates sidelined unless needed, the panel began its first full day of deliberations on June 16, but issued no notes or clarification requests, a sign that they may still be wading through evidence and legal instructions.
Court insiders noted that unlike the first trial, this jury has been notably silent — no immediate questions, no early signals of division. Still, observers remain wary. The specter of last year’s gridlock looms large.
Stakes: Life, or Liberty
If convicted of second-degree murder, Read faces a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole. A conviction on the vehicular manslaughter charge could also carry serious prison time, while a guilty verdict for leaving the scene would guarantee a felony record and further jail exposure.
At issue is what happened in the early hours of January 29, 2022. Prosecutors say Read, after an argument, struck O’Keefe with her SUV outside a Canton home and left him unconscious in the snow, where he later died. Her defense argues O’Keefe was attacked inside the home and that police conspired to frame her, possibly to protect one of their own.
A Case as Polarizing as the Country
Public reaction remains as divided as the evidence. National news outlets have hovered around the Norfolk County courthouse, while online forums continue to buzz with theories — some grounded, many not.
If nothing else, the case has become a litmus test for faith in the system: one side seeing an emotionally wronged woman up against the thin blue wall; the other, a tragic death followed by an elaborate misdirection campaign.
As jury deliberations continue Tuesday, the question remains: will this panel break the deadlock their predecessors couldn’t?
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