Credited from: ABCNEWS
Key takeaways from the ongoing case of Karen Read:
In a significant legal move, Karen Read has filed an emergency petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to delay her upcoming retrial on charges including second-degree murder. This plea comes after her previous trial ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury, which was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
Read's current legal representations argue that the jury in her initial trial had, albeit unreported, reached a unanimous decision of not guilty on the murder charges, thereby invoking her constitutional Double Jeopardy rights. The charges stem from an incident in January 2022, where Read is accused of fatally hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV after a night of drinking, and subsequently abandoning him in a snowbank.
As jury selection for her retrial commenced in Norfolk Superior Court, Read's attorneys have asserted that moving forward with the trial contradicts the Constitution’s Double Jeopardy Clause. They emphasize that continuing with prosecution would violate her rights, as revealed by statements from jurors suggesting they had reached a consensus to acquit her on the charges in the prior trial.
Read’s legal team expressed hope as they pursue this judicial intervention, stating, “To quote Shawshank Redemption, 'Hope is a great thing sometimes, the best of things.'” They further explained their rationale to the Supreme Court, sharing that multiple appeals to lower courts have already been denied, marking this as her last resort to halt the retrial.
As the Supreme Court's decision remains pending, the implications of this case continue to draw national interest, considering the charges against Read and her strong assertions of innocence amid allegations of being framed by authorities. The ongoing developments in this high-profile legal battle are being closely monitored by both media and public observers.
For more updates, follow the full story on CBS News.