Karen Learn shall be retried in January of subsequent yr, her trial decide dominated at this time.
Learn, 44, is accused of hanging her boyfriend of two years, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, along with her automotive and leaving him to freeze and die on a Canton entrance garden on Jan. 29, 2022
Because the Learn case led to mistrial on the primary of this month, the docket has remained energetic. The protection has argued that two of the three expenses towards Learn — particularly second-degree homicide and leaving the scene of an accident inflicting dying — be tossed as 5 of the sitting jurors have allegedly come ahead to say the jury was solely held on Depend 2: OUI manslaughter. Prosecutors have responded that the authorized argument for dismissal is bunk.
Norfolk Superior Court docket Choose Beverly Cannone on Monday scheduled the brand new trial for Jan. 27, 2024. She determined to not hear oral arguments on the matter and as an alternative scheduled a listening to for Aug. 9 at 2 p.m. for oral arguments.
She determined to push the trial date as a result of, she mentioned, “I’m sure that whatever I do on the motion to dismiss will be appealed, so I want to leave plenty of time.”
Followers
The thunderous crowd outdoors that’s among the many largest the white-hot Learn homicide case has ever seen underscored that whereas the scheduling listening to held within the smallest courtroom but seen of the three used within the case can be very temporary, it carries quite a lot of weight for individuals who comply with it.
The Norfolk Superior Court docket listening to happened at 2 p.m. on a Monday, however its followers have been there en masse. As seen within the later levels of the trial and really early on in pretrial time, it wasn’t simply rabid supporters of the Mansfield monetary analyst turned homicide defendant, however an ever-growing contingent of equally passionate detractors.
Even from as far-off because the parking zone behind the Registry of Deeds constructing throughout the road, the perimeters might be heard chanting, with seeming leaders using bullhorns to drown out competing messages.
As one aspect, decked in pink shirts, chanted “Free Karen Read,” their blue-shirted, “Justice for JJ” opponents would chant “Convict Karen Read.” And like the unique trial’s jurors indicated of their three notes indicating an deadlock within the case, the perimeters have been information however got here to vital completely different conclusions, promoted by way of indicators, t-shirts and robust rhetoric.
“We all want justice for John O’Keefe,” a pro-Learn girl yelled to the opposite aspect.
“You don’t want justice for John. Shut up,” a person hollered again. “She’s a murderer.”
The 200-foot buffer zone that barred such partisan speech left together with the trial, so the protests have been again in entrance of the courthouse steps.
Attorneys
Assistant District Attorneys Adam Lally and Laura McLaughlin remained on the prosecutor desk.
Unique protection lawyer David Yannetti sat subsequent to Learn on the protection desk. He was joined this time by lawyer Martin Weinberg, who, Yannetti instructed the Herald, is simply there to litigate the movement to dismiss, which he filed on July 8. In any other case, Yannetti mentioned, the protection group will stay the identical because it all the time was: Yannetti and Los Angeles-based attorneys Alan Jackson and Elizabeth Little.
Schedule
Retired Essex Superior Court docket Choose Jack Lu instructed the Herald proper after the listening to that Jan. 27 was a “Good date.”
“The scheduling suggests that the judge is being cautious and careful, as she has been for the entire trial,” Lu mentioned. “The judge could have scheduled the trial much faster.”
“That date avoids big holidays but does hit school vacation week and some one-day holidays. This makes it attractive to the judge so inconvenience is reduced,” he added.
The schedule is a bit tentative as Yannetti indicated he has one other trial scheduled in Essex County on Jan. 13 and he fears it might take longer than two weeks and thus intrude with this date. Cannone mentioned she would converse with the presiding decide up there to determine one thing out.
Herald Editor Joe Dwinell contributed to this story.
This can be a creating story …
Initially Printed:
