DEDHAM – Minutes after a judge declared a mistrial in the Karen Read Murder Case With a deadlocked jury, Massachusetts prosecutors have made their next move clear.
“The Commonwealth intends to retry the case,” Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in a statement.
When will Karen Read be back in court?
Judge Beverly Cannone set a status conference for July 22 at 2 p.m. in Norfolk Superior Court. Read is expected to appear in person with his attorney David Yannetti.
It could be months or more than a year before another trial takes place, legal analyst Jennifer Roman previously told WBZ-TV. She said that could be difficult to do in a place where so many decisions have already been made.
“If this case has to be retried, we’re going to go back to the same group of people, the same group of jurors from Norfolk County and we’re going to have to try again to find a subset of people who really don’t know anything about this case, and that’s going to be extremely difficult,” Roman said.
Retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Jack Lu said the Commonwealth’s quick re-engagement in the case and Judge Cannone’s setting of a status conference date in July demonstrate a highly motivated effort to get Karen Read’s retrial underway.
“There could be a mini-appeal process where the case would not be fully considered. Maybe a delay of a few months, if there is one. Or if you had a full appeal process, it could delay a trial for a year or more,” Judge Lu said.
What was Karen Read accused of?
Read was charged of hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with his SUV and leaving him to die in the snow in Canton, Massachusetts, in January 2022.
The 44-year-old Mansfield man has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene causing bodily injury and death. If convicted of murder, Read faces life in prison with the possibility of parole.
What’s next for Karen Read?
WBZ-TV chief investigator Cheryl Fiandaca, who is also an attorney, said “anything is possible” after the mistrial.
“There could be a plea deal. She can also appeal that case on top of that, showing that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict her and therefore there shouldn’t be another trial,” Fiandaca said. “And then the prosecutor can decide on the charges and decide to maybe get rid of that second-degree murder charge if they think that was the problem, and that’s maybe why the jury couldn’t make a decision.”
