DEDHAM – The Karen Read homicide trial ended Monday after a “starkly divided” hung jury failed to achieve a verdict, forcing Decide Beverly Cannone to declare a mistrial. The choice got here after 27 hours of deliberations in Norfolk Superior Courtroom in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Learn is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, by hitting him along with her automobile in Canton on January 29, 2022. She denies any involvement and claims he was killed at a home occasion with police and different legislation enforcement.
Will Karen Learn be retried?
Decide Beverly Cannone set July 22 for the case to be again in courtroom to find out subsequent steps.
In an announcement after the choice, the Norfolk District Lawyer’s workplace stated it plans to retry the case.
“First, we thank the O’Keefe household for his or her dedication and dedication to this lengthy course of. They maintained sight of the true core of this case – to seek out justice for John O’Keefe. The Commonwealth intends to re-try the case,” the assertion learn.
What Karen Learn jurors stated about deliberations
Jurors despatched one remaining observe to Decide Cannone earlier than she declared a mistrial.
“Regardless of our rigorous efforts we proceed to seek out ourselves at an deadlock. Our views on the proof are starkly divided. Some members of the jury firmly consider that the proof surpasses the burden of proof establishing the weather of the costs past cheap doubt,” the jury stated in its observe. “Conversely, others discover the proof fails to fulfill this commonplace and doesn’t sufficiently set up the mandatory components of the costs. The deep division just isn’t resulting from an absence of effort or diligence, however relatively a honest adherence to our particular person ideas and ethical convictions. To proceed to deliberate could be futile and solely serve to power us to compromise these deeply held beliefs.”
Cannone responded by saying “I am not going to do this to you of us. Your service is full. I am declaring a mistrial on this case.”
Alan Jackson vows protection “is not going to cease combating”
Learn’s attorneys spoke briefly outdoors courtroom on Monday, although she didn’t remark.
“The Commonwealth did their worst. They introduced the burden of the state based mostly on spurious prices, compromised proof and investigators, and compromised witnesses. They failed miserably they usually’ll proceed to fail, regardless of how lengthy it takes, regardless of how lengthy they hold making an attempt, we is not going to cease combating,” protection lawyer Alan Jackson stated. “We’ve got no stop.”
Karen Learn hung jury
The mistrial comes after roughly 5 days of deliberations. The jury of six girls and 6 males acquired the case Tuesday, June 25, following closing arguments. They heard from 74 witness, 68 of them for the prosecution, throughout 29 days of testimony over almost two months. They advised Decide Cannone Friday they have been deadlocked, however she despatched them again to proceed deliberating.
They despatched a second observe to the choose Monday morning, saying, “We discover ourselves deeply divided by basic variations in our opinions and frame of mind. The divergence in our views will not be rooted in a lack of information or effort, however deeply held convictions that every of us carry finally main to some extent the place consensus is unattainable. We acknowledge the burden of this admission, and the implication it holds.”
What’s Tuey Rodriguez?
Decide Cannone then gave the jury what’s often called a “Tuey-Rodriguez instruction,” a final resort instruction aimed toward getting them to achieve a verdict. However the jury remained hung and Cannone had no selection however to declare a mistrial.
Karen Learn mistrial
And not using a responsible or not responsible verdict on this trial, Karen Learn might be tried once more. Authorized consultants say that would take months. A re-trial wouldn’t be anytime quickly, as a result of there are different trials that also have to be heard.
“If this case must be retried, we’re going again to the identical pool of individuals, the identical Norfolk County jury pool and we’re once more going to need to attempt to discover a subset of individuals that actually know nothing about this case. It should be terribly troublesome,” authorized analyst Jennifer Roman told WBZ-TV.
Karen Learn prices
Learn, 44, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, was charged with second-degree homicide, manslaughter whereas working beneath the affect, and leaving the scene of private harm and demise. If she had been convicted on the homicide cost, she confronted as much as life in jail with the potential of parole.
Learn is accused of hitting and killing O’Keefe, who she was relationship on the time, along with her SUV after an evening of consuming and leaving him to die throughout a snowstorm in Canton, Massachusetts.
Boston Police
O’Keefe’s physique was discovered within the entrance yard of Brian Albert’s residence at 34 Fairview Street in Canton. Albert, a retired Boston police officer, was internet hosting an afterparty for the group that was out consuming within the hours main as much as O’Keefe’s demise.
Karen Learn jury
It isn’t clear but what the jury was caught on throughout their deliberations.
For the prosecution to get any conviction, the jury had to agree that she hit O’Keefe along with her SUV that night time, whether or not she supposed to or not. It isn’t identified if the 12 jurors agreed on that or not. In the event that they did, then they might start discussing the costs.
Karen Learn trial closing arguments
Attorneys offered vastly completely different closing arguments on June 25.
The protection tried to color an image of an elaborate conspiracy by legislation enforcement and witnesses within the case.
“Girls and gents there was a coverup on this case, plain and easy,” Learn’s lawyer Alan Jackson advised the courtroom.
Prosecutor Adam Lally urged jurors to observe the proof and Learn’s personal phrases.
“‘I hit him, I hit him, I hit him, I hit him.’ These are the phrases of the defendant. 4 occasions,” Lally stated. “You heard testimony from 4 completely different witnesses who overheard and noticed these statements from the defendant on January 29, 2022.”
AP Photograph/Steven Senne
Karen Learn homicide trial testimony
Protection attorneys argued throughout the trial that O’Keefe was truly killed throughout a struggle inside Albert’s residence, then dragged outdoors and dumped on the garden throughout a snowstorm.
The trial started on April 16 with jury choice. Testimony received underway on April 29.
Over the course of almost two months, the prosecution referred to as 68 witnesses and the protection group referred to as an extra six folks to the stand.
Among the many witnesses referred to as by the prosecution have been first responders who testified that they heard Learn’s “I hit him” statements the morning O’Keefe’s physique was discovered. In addition they had a number of witnesses who testified that O’Keefe by no means went inside Brian Albert’s residence.
Protection attorneys spent vital time throughout cross-examination trying to indicate that the investigation into O’Keefe’s demise was biased and targeted solely on Learn from the beginning. Learn’s attorneys claimed that individuals investigating the case lied to cowl up for pals who have been witnesses.
The Karen Learn investigation
Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator within the case, was a key witness throughout the trial.
Prosecutors referred to as Proctor to testify about proof he found all through the investigation. However Proctor was additionally pressured to learn aloud derogatory text messages he despatched to pals about Learn.
Proctor is at the moment beneath investigation by the Massachusetts State Police, however stays on full responsibility. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey stated she was “disgusted” by Proctor’s actions.
Although Learn had stated she could be prepared to take the stand in her personal protection, she didn’t testify throughout the trial.
AP Photograph/Steven Senne
“Free Karen Learn” supporters
Giant crowds of Read’s supporters have been current outdoors Norfolk Superior Courtroom all through the trial. The crowds grew even bigger within the remaining week of the trial, with many sporting pink and holding “Free Karen Read” indicators.
On the day closing statements have been offered, supporters advised WBZ-TV they got here from as far-off as Tennessee and Michigan to assist Learn.
