The Norfolk DA’s particular prosecutor is once more making an attempt to get his arms on unpublished materials about homicide defendant Karen Learn from a information outlet.
Just a few weeks after the brand new prosecutor requested Boston 25 to show over a whole video of interviews with Learn, the prosecutor has now filed a movement a couple of Boston Journal reporter.
Particular prosecutor Hank Brennan’s movement is for all of BoMag reporter Gretchen Voss’ audio recordings, interview notes, emails, textual content messages and voicemails with Learn.
Voss in September 2023 wrote a protracted learn on the bombshell case south of Boston, with the headline, “The Karen Read Case in Canton: The Killing That Tore a Town Apart.”
Voss and Learn spent numerous time collectively for the longform article, and the prosecutor desires the whole audio file of all their interviews. The prosecutor even desires “off the record” interview notes.
Brennan within the movement wrote that that is “not a fishing expedition.”
“The defendant has made tactical and repeated admissions outside of Court regarding her activities during the evening of January 28 and the early morning of January 29, 2022,” the prosecutor’s movement reads.
“The defendant’s statements to Voss are not protected by any privilege and there is no legal basis to limit the Commonwealth’s entitlement to all the defendant’s statements to Voss,” the movement provides.
The Norfolk DA’s Workplace has beforehand obtained the Voss/Learn audio recordings with scores of redactions.
“Many of the redactions occurred during discussions and admissions pertaining to critical issues in this case,” the prosecutor wrote, citing a dialog about Learn consuming alcohol on the evening of the incident.
“Without the full unredacted audio of all the defendant and participant’s statements the Commonwealth will be unfairly blocked from obtaining and providing the jury relevant evidence that places the defendant’s admissions in full context,” the prosecutor added.
There’s “nothing confidential” about Learn’s media interviews with Voss and different shops, the prosecutor wrote.
“When a defendant, assisted by her attorneys, deliberately undertakes a public relations campaign saturating the public with statements likely to reach the potential juror pool they also run the risk that statements may not be beneficial and be incriminatory,” Brennan added.
Learn is accused of hanging her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, along with her automobile and leaving him to die within the chilly.
She was charged in Norfolk Superior Courtroom with second-degree homicide, motorcar manslaughter and leaving the scene of a collision inflicting demise. Learn was tried earlier this yr, however that led to mistrial after the jury indicated it was deadlocked.
The protection claims a number of jurors stated they have been solely held on the manslaughter cost and have been able to acquit on the others. Motions to drop the opposite two costs for the brand new trial have been denied by Decide Beverly Cannone, however the protection has appealed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Courtroom.
