Karen Read retrial begins with lengthy jury selection
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Karen Read's second murder trial begins Tuesday with jury selection.
Why it matters: The long-anticipated retrial in the killing of Read's boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, will determine whether a jury will hold Read responsible or be swayed by the alternative theories her attorneys raised about his death.
Catch up quick: Authorities accused Read of hitting O'Keefe with her SUV during a snowstorm in January 2022 after a night of drinking. Read's attorneys say someone else killed him, and that Read was framed with local law enforcement's help.
State of play: Jury selection begins after the courts spent some 10 weeks finding hundreds of prospective jurors, NBC Boston reported.
- The process could take several days due to the high-profile nature of the case and the crowds protesting in support of Read.
Between the lines: All eyes will be on these jurors after the first trial ended with a hung jury and questions emerged about the instructions.
- Read's attorneys argued last year that they could have had a split verdict, but that the judge failed to convey that the jurors could be polled on each charge.
- The attorneys said four jurors had told them they planned to acquit Read on charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a fatal crash, but disagreed about a manslaughter charge.
One difference in this trial for the defense is that they won't be calling FBI special agent Michael Easter to discuss the federal investigation into the handling of the local investigation.
- Judge Beverly Cannone ruled Monday that Easter can't be called as an expert witness, WCVB reported.
- Cannone wrote that his testimony "is not needed for the jury to determine whether or not the investigation was compromised by any failure to follow procedures or pursue other suspects."