Karen Read's trial gets new update as judge says there were "repeated misinterpretations"
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in the Karen Read case, Judge Beverly Cannon reprimanded the defense team for reportedly providing seemingly incorrect information to the court. However, the judge did not remove any lawyers from the case, even though the second trial is scheduled for next month.
As reported by CBS News, Cannon said:
"I find that there have been repeated misrepresentations made to the court by defense counsel, and I conclude that they were deliberate concerning the relationship with the ARCCA witnesses."
On January 29, 2022, the remains of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe were found at 34 Fairview Road in Canton, Massachusetts, outside the home of another police officer, Brian Albert. The evidence gathered by authorities raised suspicions against John's girlfriend, Karen Read, and her involvement in his death. However, after a trial in 2024, she was acquitted of all charges.
The entire case, investigation, and connection of Read with this incident are covered in a true crime series, A Body in The Snow: The Trial of Karen Read. The series premiered on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 9 PM EST on Investigation Discovery and is now available for streaming on DIRECTV Stream, Philo, and Hulu + Live TV.
Judge Cannon spoke privately with Karen Read and her legal team
Prosecutors claim that Karen Read struck her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV and left him to die in 2022. According to Read, she was part of a conspiracy that involved many people, including law enforcement.
Judge Cannon then spoke privately with Read and her legal team. According to CBS News, when a reporter from WBZ-TV asked Karen what she thought about her attorneys staying with the case, she said:
"Amazing, Amazing! There's no other attorneys I'd rather have than my attorneys."
During a private conversation, the judge stated that she would not strip any out-of-state attorneys of their right to practice in Massachusetts. However, Judge Cannon issued a stern warning to attorneys about maintaining integrity before the court.
Also read: Where is Karen Read's family now? Details explored ahead of A Body in The Snow: The Trial of Karen Read
The focus was on Aidan Kearney in Tuesday's hearing
During the hearing on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the focus was on Aidan Kearney, also known as Turtleboy, a blogger known for starting the 'Free Karen Read' movement. It was being decided whether allegations of him intimidating witnesses would be mentioned in the trial.
As per the article by CBS News, published on March 18, 2025, Read's attorney, Alan Jackson, said:
"There are clearly people out there who are very deeply concerned about what they consider, the others consider, an unjust prosecution of an innocent person, for a crime that she did not commit, and we don't control that."
The judge has not yet made a decision on the issue, but she expressed concern that the publicity surrounding the case would make it difficult to find a jury.
Hank Brennan was appointed as a special prosecutor by Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrisey in September 2024 to prosecute Karen in a second trial.
As mentioned in the CBS News article, he said during the recent hearing:
"The prosecutors weren't outside patting the bloggers on the butt for a job well done."
Judge Beverly Cannon imposed a gag order in the case
According to CBS News, Brennan had asked the judge to impose sanctions on the defense attorneys because they shared text messages in public court filings under the protective order. David Yannetti, an attorney for Read, called it an honest mistake. Judge Cannon did not impose a sentence but granted the request for a gag order, which applies to all lawyers.
The five-part docuseries, A Body in The Snow: The Trial of Karen Read, is available for streaming on Philo, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling.
